The Tim Tam Slam

Minor disaster. I ran out of Milo today.

 

Milk expiring soon, but no sugary chocolatey powder to make pre-sleep beverage. Uh oh, what to do?

Things you will need...

Ingredients:

- a cup of milk (or more usually coffee/tea)

- a Tim Tam (don't listen to people that speak of strange things like "oreos" or "penguin biscuits")

High tech digital editing software, oh yeah! (it's a straw)

Procedure:
1. Bite off two opposite corners of a Tim Tam.

2. Pour milk into a cup. (heat if you like)

3. Use the Tim Tam like a straw.

4. Just before the biscuit disintigrates into mushy crumbs, eat it.

Crisis averted.

Further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tam_Slam

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My first year viva is on tomorrow (tecnically today as it's past midnight), then I'm off for a few days. We'll be back soon with the finale of SMBC Season 1, and we'll also be puttin' on the Ritz if you know what I mean.

Oh and another Cambridge food blog, yay!

QED: Lemongrass Pork on Vermicelli Salad

Cold noodles are refreshing and perfect for warm summer weather. Hiyashi chuuka and zaru soba are two of my favourites! But today I decided to try out my own version of Vietnamese cold vermicelli. It turned out alright, although the pork wasn't as good (pan fried) as it could have been on a barbeque. Mmm burnt bbq bits...
Hmm in hindsight, a bit of ginger and garlic would have been good as well, but I was feeling lazy =P

Ingredients:	Marinade/sauce:
any cut of pork, sliced stalk of lemongrass vermicelli a carrot half a cucumber a few leaves of butter lettuce	fish sauce lime sugar light soy chilli

Firstly, combine lime juice and sugar to get a good balance, then add a generous amount of fish sauce and a touch of light soy. Use some of this to marinate the pork. Keep the rest for later. Smash up and chop lemongrass finely (remove the hard outer layers), then add to the pork marinade. Fry the pork til cooked through, then leave to cool.

Boil vermicelli, drain and wash to cool. Chop up carrot, cucumber and lettuce. With the rest of the sauce marinade, add chopped chilli and then mix it through the vermicelli. Top with the salad vegetables and cooked pork.

All done!

Formal Feedback

As some of you might know, I've somehow got myself involved with catering for events run by the Trinity BA society (ie. graduate society). No, this doesn't mean I do any sort of large scale cooking for 200, nor does it mean I wash the 800 dishes every Friday night (phew!), but it does mean I get to write all the menus for our BA formal dinners.

Apologies in advance to our many non-Trinity and non-Cambridge student readers, although I hope it does give somewhat of an insight into the rather, um, special world that is Trinity college!

Sometimes, one type of sherry is just not enough...

I was always under the presumption that college kitchens had a set list of dishes they knew how to do, and as catering representative, you simply pick which ones you want for which day in what order. Oh was I wrong! To my surprise, I've been allowed to make up whatever names I like for dishes within reasonable limits of sanity (starting from previous years' menus as a guideline) and run it by the catering department who give feedback and such until a menu is agreed. Very cool, right?

So tonight was the first BA dinner of the long vacation term, and the very first based on menus that I had written. It's hard not to feel a significant amount of responsibility for the quality of the dishes, especially when the enjoyment of so many tastebuds and stomachs is at stake!

At first, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to document this on the blog, but I think this would be a really interesting forum to get feedback (both positive and negative!) about the dishes, any potential suggestions/improvements, and new dish ideas. I hope nobody in catering minds that I've done this.

I was overall happy with how this first dinner went.. here are my retrospective and inherently biased thoughts:

Beetroot and goats cheese salad with balsamic glaze

I had initially wanted the starter to be a 'stack' with alternate layers of cheese and beetroot, but the word 'stack' got cut from the final menu wording. Anyhow, I thought that extra effort went into the presentation and this was really great to see. I'm also a sucker for any type of balsamic reduction. On the down side, the slice of cheese was disproportionately large - thicker pieces of beetroot and less cheese would have improved the balance.

This was compounded by an error of judgement in my menu planning... I had forgotten that this week was 'cheese week' (post-dessert cheese + port which occurs every second dinner), and the dinner ended up with a slight cheese overload.

Seared tuna steak with wasabi aioli ; Soy, sesame and citrus salad ; Saute potatoes

I was a little apprehensive about this main - firstly I wasn't sure if the kitchen setup was able to do 'seared', given the logistics of serving hot food to large groups. Secondly, I wasn't sure what kind of take the kitchens would do on an asian twist.

I'm happy to say that the tuna was done right, not overcooked at all, and if I were to be finicky, perhaps slightly undercooked on the sides. The salad was a surprise too - definitely not what I had imagined when I wrote those words, but the sauce actually tasted pretty good.

If I were to be superfinicky, then I would say the tuna was a little sinewy, but I've probably just been spoilt by too much sushi grade tuna with beautiful texture. Ootoro. *sigh*

Lavender-infused creme brulee

Desserts (aka 'pudding' as they say in the UK, don't know why!) at Trinity are generally really good. I have to say this time I was slightly disappointed, even if 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Basically the flavour was fine, burnt sugar is always yum, but the texture was incredibly dense and far more solid than I'd expect for a creme brulee. Clearly they did something different from the famed Trinity Burnt Cream, where the texture is much better!

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Now the important bit. For anyone that went to the dinner, what did you guys think? What was good, and what needed improving?

And even if you weren't there or have nothing to do with Cambridge, any suggestions for good formal catering menu ideas? Especially vegetarian main meals - I'm really bad at this!!! I might steal ideas off Yotam Ottolenghi's stuff in the Guardian...

Michaelhouse Cafe, Cambridge

How much would you pay for this quiche of the day (asparagus and pine nut), rosemary roast potatoes and three types of salad?

£6? £8? Maybe even £10?

I'm meeting DW, the pirate and Lady G at Michaelhouse Cafe after a nice swim at the outdoor pool at Jesus Green, and whilst I'm pretty sure the menu at the counter says £7.85, I only get charged £3.95 to my surprise.

"They probably just made an error." is the conclusion we come to.

But no, the receipt reads "CHP LATE HT SPEC". Translating from receipt-world-language, that reads cheap late hot special. Michaelhouse has a "hungry student deal" from 2:30 - 3pm, where all remaining hot food goes for £3.95. Amazing! And delicious too...

Too bad I'm usually working at 2:30 - 3 pm. (don't ask me why I wasn't this day)

Michaelhouse Cafe
Trinity Street
Cambridge CB2 1SU
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 309147
http://www.michaelhousecafe.co.uk/

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Mississippi Mud Pie

Firstly, two foodblog posts you should read, polar opposites yet both incredibly awesome.

1) Becasse Chef's Table from Grab Your Fork
Class. This is what separates the men from the boys.
http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2011/07/becasse-chefs-table-sydney.html

2) The Stoner Degustation from Yo Levins
I only recently heard about this guy, but I mean, wow. Perhaps the very definition of awesome.
http://yolevins.com/post/2492239247/half-baked-the-stoner-degustation

And that's why I love Sydney.

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Dark chocolate + cream + butter + sugar + eggs must taste good right? Here's a recipe I found on the BBC Food website for Mississippi mud pie. I made a few changes here and there, like replacing bourbon biscuits with digestives (supermarket only had bourbon creams). Plus I completely ran out of time making this, so I slightly underbaked it and didn't have time to let it cool, which resulted in a warm gooey cake. Still good though.

Cake Filling:	Fudge Topping:	Base:
85g dark chocolate (70%) 85g butter 85g sugar 100mL double cream 2 eggs	150g dark chocolate (70%) 150mL double cream 175g icing sugar, sieved 3 tbsp honey/golden syrup	300g digestives 150g butter

Procedure:
1. Start by crushing the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs (easy to do in a plastic food bag). Melt butter and mix into biscuit crumbs. Press into base of a 23cm springform tin. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.

2. For cake filling, melt dark chocolate and butter together (microwave works great). Meanwhile, whip together eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Fold cream and melted chocolate/butter into beaten egg mixture.

3. Pour chocolate mixture into biscuit base and bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 min at 180 deg C, or until set.

4. Let the baked cake cool (actually I didn't have time...). In the meantime, combine all the fudge ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 min and pour over the cake.

5. Stud with fresh raspberries. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. (again, I didn't have time)

Bill's, Cambridge

There's something new on Green St. 

Where the old Slug and Lettuce used to be, there's a new cafe/restaurant/store and it looks a little something like this:

Some cute salt and pepper shakers.

Stumped?

That's one busy interior...

This is the new Bill's restaurant that opened up recently. Actually I blogged about this a while back when I got confused between this Bill (Collison) and a certain Bill Granger of Sydney-egg-fame.

Anyhow, this self-proclaimed 'foodie heaven' has been on my to visit list, as any establishment that takes such a keen interest in food must be a good thing for Cambridge.

The writing is on the wall: a recipe for haloumi burgers, written in that cafe font.

Did we mention we sell stuff?

The first thing you notice about this place is the density and intensity of colours. Jars, cans and bottles lining the walls from top to bottom, large bundles of dried chilli hanging from the ceiling. It's borders on sensory overkill, and is rather heavy on the merchandise, but definitely far far better than the ordinary bland atmosphere of some British cafes. Plus, fantastic for taking photos! Foodie heaven indeed.

Hedgerow fizz: sparkling wine, elderflower cordial and blackberry (£3.95)

Upon arrival, we are greeted with enthusiastic service and a very welcome complimentary Hedgerow fizz, a sparkling wine cocktail. Nice touch for opening week =) Perfect to kick off a late evening get together.

Crispy fried calamari rings with paprika, served with garlic mayo (£5.75)

As it turns out, we're only here for a drink and a few nibbles. AD needs to fulfil her deep-fried cravings and goes for the calamari, whilst together with Peekabou (sorry, I couldn't help myself), Mr Always-smartly-dressed and the Robust Lady, we also pick the mezze board.

Bill's mezze board: hummus, olives, babaganoush, guacamole, slow roasted mediterranean vegetables with pesto and goats cheese, served with grilled bread (£8.95)

Everything comes out nicely packaged - the pile of calamari rings, whilst not outrageously crispy or anything, has been fried well and is light rather than greasy, and comes with a nice topping of sliced chilli which also suits AD just fine.

The mezze board is a mix of a few dips: the hummus is especially thick and fibrous (but in a good way) with a wonderful colour thanks to a good amount of paprika. The babaganoush on the other hand is very creamy and smooth, although it lacks the smoky burnt hint that comes from roasted eggplant. Guacamole likewise smooth, not too much impact. The roast vegetables are great, but none of us quite figures out how you're meant to 'dip' bread into them... a small dish of olives, capers and pickled onions accompanies.

I know much less about wine than I'd like, but everything washes down well with a Syrah from France.

La Garenne, Syrah, France

Overall, I'm impressed. A lot of effort has gone into setting the place up, and the atmosphere is something you definitely can't find elsewhere in Cambridge - a good compromise alternative to the pub and bar when you're looking for a place for drinks but also nice food. Yes, despite all my biases against restaurant chains (I don't know if this counts, there are a small handful of Bill's around in the UK), I have to admit that this place is pretty sweet.

The most interesting part for me though is the opening hours. This place goes from 8am breakfast all the way until the late snack round at 11pm. Fantastic for us, as we basically live next door!

Bill's
34-35 Green St
Cambridge, CB2 3JX
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 329638
http://www.bills-website.co.uk/Home.htm

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Green Tea and Red Bean Layer Cake

A while back I made some green tea ice cream using a stash of matcha I got from a recent trip to Hong Kong (which I'm yet to blog about!). I was looking for some other matcha dessert recipes and found this one here and here. Don't be fooled by it's appearance... green tea and red bean is a great combination in desserts!

Anyway, I'm not great at baking (I think I'm too careless in terms of measuring things), so the cake turned out a little messy, but overall the recipe worked great!

Here's the recipe, although it basically comes straight from Sugar & Everything Nice:

Ingredients:
2 eggs 60 g icing sugar 60 g almond meal 1 1/2 tsp matcha 30 g all purpose flour 30 g melted unsalted butter	2 egg whites 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 30 g caster sugar 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup sweetened canned red bean

Procedure:
1) Preheat the oven to 200 deg C. Line a half sheet pan (about 30 x 40 cm) with a sheet of baking paper.

2) Combine the 2 whole eggs with the icing sugar and almond meal and whip until light and about double in volume.

3) Add in the matcha powder and combine.

4) Sift the flour over the egg mixture.

5) Whip the egg whites in a different bowl until they start to froth. Then add the cream of tartar and whip until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar and whip to incorporate.

6) Scoop about 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg mixture and fold in gently with a spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in until uniformly mixed. Pour the melted butter over the batter and fold in to incorporate.

7) Pour the batter into the pan and distribute it evenly, making the layer as level and smooth as possible. Tap the bottom of the pan to get rid of some of the air bubbles.

8) Bake in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the cake is just firm and lightly brown but not completely brown. (I found it seemed to need longer to dry out properly - maybe my cake slices were too thick?)

9) Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the parchment. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

10) Flip the cake over, then carefully peel the parchment paper from the back of the cake. Then flip the cake back on it's right side over a clean piece of parchment.

To Assemble:
1) Trim off the edges and slice the cake in along the short side into 4 equal-sized pieces

2) Whip the cream to soft peaks. Leave aside 1/4 of the cream for the topping. For the remaining cream, fold in the red beans gently until evenly distributed.

3) Taking one layer of the cake, cover the top with 1/4 of the red bean cream. Then lay the 2nd layer on top and continue with the rest until the last layer is in place. Try to keep the layer even.

4) Top the last layer with the 1/4 plain cream.

5) Cover the cake and refrigerate overnight.

6) When you are ready to serve, trim off the sides of the cake to make them nice and even. Dust the top with some matcha powder.