Jump Down, Turn Around, Pick A Bale Of Köttbullar

NATIONAL DISH OF SWEDEN - Köttbullar
OK I know that I have not posted in a while. Well SO much has happened since the last post in August! I went on vacation to Indonesia for 2 weeks in September, which was fantastic and relaxing (except the throat infection I acquired in the jungle!). The boys and I had an excellent time. Also I have now finished uni for this year. See ya later classes and exams! (until 2012.) Other than that I have been pretty slack in the international cooking department. I have preferred to be on more the eating side, than the cooking side of things. And my weight can be an attest to that! So we're trying to get back into the swing of things.

Along with some of my quirky friends, we devised an extra reason to get together and drink...Music Nights! Basically we take an artist/group that we love but feel has been under appreciated, watch music videos of their greatest hits, and drink and dance the night away! Some past nights have included Kylie Night, Steps Night and Sophie Ellis-Bextor Night. Now normally I host these fantastic nights, as I can scour the internet easily for music videos and provide a good spread of food (some may say I'm a natural born host!) Tonight however, I am relinquishing my hosting right to the Hot Mess (or Dog's Breakfast) Christopher! For those who are familiar with me, you must be asking: "Leo with all your control freak madness, how are you OK with giving away hosting duties?" Well don't worry GGJ Pilgrims, I am still providing catering, which brings us to our country.


The great country of Sweden has given the world a lot of things! From inventions like dynamite and tetra paks, to brands like Volvo, Nokia and Absolut. From literary masters like Astrid Lindgren and Steig Larsson to screen greats Ingmar Bergman, Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. Not to mention a plethora of handsome and beautiful blonde Swedes! And in the way of entertainment they have provided us with one of the world's highest selling groups, whom have special ties to glamourous Eurovision. It is that band that we celebrate tonight. One word.....ABBA! So to celebrate ABBA Night I am cooking the national dish of Sweden, Köttbullar!

The Swedish take on the meatball, Köttbullar is made from a mix of ground beef and ground pork. It is then mixed with fried onion, cream, flour/breadcrumbsand seasoned with white pepper and allspice. Traditionally they are served with boiled potatoes, ligonberry jam and covered with a special cream sauce. And Köttbullar has become ubiquitous with one of my favourite places in the world!

That place is the thing that I am most grateful for Swedish existence, which is of course....IKEA!!! Sweden is the country that I most want to visit in the whole world, and number one on my bucket list is to make a pilgrimage to the original IKEA in Älmhult (as well as the largest IKEA in Kungens Kurva just outside Stockholm.) Now I know that there is plenty more to Sweden, and I can't wait to experience them all! So if there is any Swedes that would like to host an appreciative Aussie, shout me a "cooee!" and I'll be there in a heartbeat (or at least a AUD$2200 22-hour flight)


 Enjoy, or as they say in the Sweden,  Smaklig måltid!



Recipe courtesy of the holy Swedish bible: IKEA's Real Swedish Food Book (which I of course own!): http://www.ikeahackers.net/2006/08/how-to-make-your-own-swedish-meatballs.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

So the recipe in it's self wasn't really difficult. You would think that after countless times of going to the residences of others less culinary inclined I would remember to take all that I need. Well the house of young Christopher and The Kiwis is pretty much equipped for the things they need: a fridge to keep their goon (aka cask wine) chilled, and receptacles to drink the goon out of. Even that last one is contentious since they (read: Hot Mess Chris) break so many glasses it would be easier to drink straight from the cask. So I was not surprised when I asked Michael simple questions like "do you have flour?" and "is a whisk readily available?", he looked blankly at me and then proceeded to laugh! Thankfully I did most of the pre-cooking at home.

They looked, well, just like small meatballs. So that is a tick in the good appearance list. Served up alongside the red lingonberry jam (which I love as well as lingonberry juice I get from IKEA), and the white of the Jansson's Temptation, the meatballs looked salivating. Jansson's Temptation is a potato casserole with onions, cream, breadcrumbs and sprats (or anchovies). I thought it would give a complimentary taste to the meatballs, and be more fulfilling than just boiled potatoes. I also had to hide the anchovies knowing that Christopher and Lady Lara don't like them.

And although they tasted fairly good, the Köttbullar didn't taste as good as the ones I get every time I eat at IKEA. But I would say the best Köttbullar I've ever had would be the ones Lady Lara made for the first Eurovision party I hosted. They were delicious and certainly beat my attempt! The Jansson's Temptation also tasted great, and thankfully you couldn't taste the anchovies. But my favourite moment of the night was Chris telling me that the meatballs were OK but the potato casserole was delicious. I did devilishly wait until he finished before informing him it contained anchovies! As usual, well done Sweden! I cannot wait to see your beautiful land and sample your native wares first hand!

(For those playing at home, Sweden debuted at Eurovision in 1958 and have participated all but 3 times since. Every year their contestant is picked through an annual televised competition known as Melodifestivalen, which is almost as famous as Eurovision itself. Sweden is one of the most successful countries, having won the contest 4 times (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999) and coming in the Top 5 a staggering 20 times! And of course they are home to the most famous Eurovision winners, ABBA (singing "Waterloo" in 1974.) I thought Eric Saade was ripped off last year, he should have won, but then there is always next time. Good luck for 2012 Sweden, I'll be watching Melodifestivalen to see whom you have chose!)

All You Knedlo Is Love

NATIONAL DISH OF CZECH REPUBLIC - Vepřo - Knedlo - Zelo

So it is getting into mid-semester, where my university workload is starting to increase as well as it's severity. But before I become completely unhinged and set myself on fire due to stress, I decided that during mid-semester break I would take 2 weeks off for a little holiday. Then I could come back recharged and tackle all my exams with renewed vigour.

Chadstone and Gustopher had been in discussions to take a trip over the Timor Sea to the archipelago nation of Indonesia, and whilst drinking with them one night I decided that I wanted to come with. Now I haven't got a real desire to visit much of South East Asia, I'm more of a Western culture kind of tourist. (In fact one of places I didn't see when I visited Europe but am DYING to is Prague! Renowned for it's stunning architecture, beautiful landscapes, and of course refreshing beer!) Gus had been to Bali a few times and Chad to Thailand, and they sold me on the relaxing and the drinking whilst relaxing. Not to mention that with the meager spending money I had we could get our own private villas with all the mod cons that one would need.

To top this off, all throughout high school I took Indonesian, though on further reflection I'm not entirely sure why I stuck with it. Thanks to my superior intellect and advanced memory skills (I'm totes modest I know!) I was always really good at languages, and always got high marks in Indonesian. Having said this, it had been 8 years since I had used any, so I was a little skeptical if any useful words had been retained. Of course I still remembered some important phrases like: "Wah! Terlalu mahal untuk anda!" (Wow! That's too expensive for you!) and "Mencuci pakaian sekarang!" (Wash my clothes now!) These would certainly come in  handy, no?

And I felt it would be remiss of me not to use any remaining language skills and knowledge about Indonesian culture that I could. I did have a stipulation though that we travel across to Java for a hike up a dormant volcano and for some jungle time, but also to get away from the normal tourist traps. Southern Bali could be mistaken as a part of Australia, what with all the bogan Australians that visit. Thankfully Gus and Chad gladly accepted my conditions.

We got together to plan and book the trip, and needed some dinner. Since it was in the middle of winter, I decided to make some sort of roast. And after viewing the interesting national dish of the Czech Republic, I knew this roast pork would be a winner. Vepřo - Knedlo - Zelo is roast pork and yeast dumplings with sauerkraut. There is many variations in recipes, but they all contain similar ingredients. Also they possess simple processes, which make it quick and easy to make for a delicious hearty family dinner. So that clinched it, the trip is booked, and the boys are off to Indonesia in a few weeks!


Enjoy, or as they say in the Czech Republic,  Dobrou chuť!



To make this 3 piece national dish, follow here: http://www.my-prague-sights.com/czech-recipes.html

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            11

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

This recipe was broken up into three pieces, none of which were that difficult to complete. Although the dumplings were the most time consuming and fiddly. And I'm not a big fan of dishes that force me to use dry yeast, cause that thing smells no good! The marinade was simple to mix together, and coating the pork and slapping it in the oven was a piece of cake (or roast!) If I had more time I would have made sauerkraut from scratch, but I didn't, so it too was an easy concoction.


Each individual element didn't look all that appetising (except the roast pork of course), but when thrown together (or should I say plated elegantly) it looks like a veritable feast! The sauerkraut with it's enticing vinegar aroma that mixes intoxicatingly with the bacon. The pork looked succulent, but their big draw card was their aroma. The caraway seeds marinade gave off a waft that was all kinds of amazing. And the dumplings.....well they looked white and much like piles of dough.

And delicious it was! I drizzled over the top some gravy made from the pan juices and that enhanced the flavour of the pork. The caraway seed marinade was amazing, I'm gonna have to remember that one for future roast pork adventures. And I do love me some sauerkraut! Not entirely sure why, maybe I was German in a past life. But this version had bacon in it so how could you not think it would be delicious. And the dumpling were also a surprise hit. They weren't extremely doughy, which I thought they might have been, so I obviously cooked them long enough. And the added gravy gave them a helping hand in the flavour department. All of this exquisite food was washed down with another marvelous Czech invention....Pilsner Urquell!

(For those playing at home the Czech Republic has only participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 3 times (2007-2009). Unfortunately they haven't had a good run of things with never reaching the semi-finals, and in fact coming last in two of their semi-finals. This has led them to withdraw from the ESC since 2009. Hopefully they wish to compete in 2012!)

Mac[adamia] The Knife

NATIONAL DISH OF MARSHALL ISLANDS - Macadamia Nut Pie

We in Australia have a penchant for big things. All across our wide brown land you will find giant sculptures and structures that bear resemblance to objects, people or animals. For instance: The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, The Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha, The Golden Guitar in Tamworth, and even in my hometown of Wodonga we had The Big Rolling Pin. These Big Things have become akin to a cult phenomenon, attracting tourists to their town for great family snaps. Some people even use them as a reason for road trips, especially up and down the east coast. We adore our big things so much that some of them have even become Heritage Listed.

There are over 150 Big Things in Australia, but the most famous one is probably The Big Pineapple in Woombye, Queensland. This iconic 16m fiberglass pineapple is situated on a now closed pineapple farm that used to house a small zoo, rides and a macadamia nut farm. And what would you find at the macadamia nut farm...The Big Macadamia Nut!

My mum used to live in Brisbane when I was younger, and one summer when we visited she took me to see The Big Pineapple. Now as a 14 year old I thought "OK it is impressive that this pineapple is in fact quite big, but I don't really care for pineapple flavoured treats". But fate would show her hand that day as she introduced me to the wonderful nut that is the Macadamia! I still remember tasting my first Macadamia Nut ice cream here, and it has been my favourite ice cream flavour since! (unless I'm near a Baskin Robbins that has Peanut Butter and Chocolate, cos that wins out!).

Earlier this year, I went up north to visit the best friend Emma, as well as my niece Kel and my great nephew Izzy. Kel asked me what I wanted to do whilst I was there, and without hesitation I shouted THE BIG PINEAPPLE! So off on a little road trip we went, I brimming with excitement of savouring more delicious macadamia nut ice cream. Alas, when we arrived we were horrified to find that all the complex had been closed and that you couldn't even get a photo with The Big Pineapple. This devastated me so much that I decided not to eat pineapple until it was reopened! (I would not do the same thing with macadamia nuts for they are too delicious. Also not eating pineapple didn't last long, it's tasty!)

So what does all this have to do with our next national dish? Well the Marshall Islands are one of those rare and wonderful countries that have a dessert as their national dish. The Macadamia Nut Pie. I was mega excited that it is essentially macadamia nuts, sugar and cream, and willing to overlook that it contained one of my cuisine nemesis...coconut! A collection of islands and atolls just west of the International Date Line, the Marshall Islands have provided us with a quick and delicious dessert. What more would you expect from a place that contains Bikini Atoll (for which the Bikini was named after)


Enjoy, or as they say in Marshall Islands,  Tūb!




A national dish that is a dessert..AWES!: http://www.food.com/recipe/marshall-islands-macadamia-nut-pie-210197

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               3

TOTAL:            11

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

Mixing together the ingredients and throwing them in the pie crust was super easy. When you don't have enough time an uncomplicated dessert is awesome! (as are already made pie crusts). If I had more time I would have made a pie crust (which would have raised the degree of difficulty).

Now ignoring that I tend to slightly burn desserts in the oven, the macadamia nut pie was no exception, it looked fantastic. The aroma coming out of the oven was a sweet yet nutty smell, and when you dolloped on some coconut cream, the melting white contrasted the brownness of the pie to perfection.

I took the finished pie over to Bradley's house for his mini housewarming, and the boys must have enjoyed it for the pie was all gone! For me, anything with that much sugar in it is gonna be delicious. I was concerned about the coconut in the pie and the cream, but thankfully it wasn't overpowering and fully complimented the cream and macadamia nut. The other thing that was excellent was the texture of the pie. I thought it might be dense, until I realised that it was essentially sugar and eggs. It came out light and fluffy, like a pudding. For such a small nation, the Marshall Islands have picked an excellent national dish. Praise be to the Macadamia Nut!

Keep Away From-A Runaround Suya

NATIONAL DISH OF NIGER - Suya

So my birthday week is over, and I have to wait for another year for everything to be about me! Well for those who know me, you know that last statement was a lie. I have the ability to make everything about me!

I was very thankful to The Molefaces for celebrating with me and absolutely loved my Scanpan knives! Generally we have drinks and go out for a dance and frivolity on the weekends, but we also like to go out for dinner on our actual birthday. The decision of where to go is hard to make, but in an exceptionally divine gastronomic city that Melbourne is, the choice is that much more difficult. I of course like to do my own thing and my choices tend to be unique and quirky, but very Leo. Last year for my birthday dinner we went to my place of worship...IKEA. Weird? yes. But also very awesome! We sat in the dining hall with our Swedish meatballs and celebrated with champagne that Lady Lara had smuggled in. I even had a cake that my sister had brought (she lit the candles in one of the study displays) and everyone sang Happy Birthday. Despite the judging looks we received from the shoppers, it was the best birthday dinner ever!

So how to top that this year. And would that even be possible? Well I knew just the place that would be able to satiate The Molefaces need to indulge in large amounts of unhealthy food. Misty's Diner is an American 50's styled diner that serves ridonculously amazing burgers and fries (amongst other delicious food). I thoroughly enjoyed my Bloomin' Onion entree, as well as my Buffalo-style burger and wet fries! But the reason for Misty's Diner as my choice of venue was for the venerable Reese's Pieces Thickshake! For a quick ascension to gastronomic heaven, go and grab one now! If I had my own country, Reese's Pieces Thickshake would be my national drink! (nachos would probably be my national dish for those playing at home).

Now back to the cooking of real national dishes. Suya is a West African version of a shish kebab, or meat on a stick. Devised by the Hausa people of Niger and northern Nigeria, it is a popular snack sold at many restaurants and street-side stalls. Normally made from beef (chicken and fish are also options) the meat is dry rubbed in a mixture of spices or tankora. The tankora consists of crushed peanuts, cayenne pepper, ginger, paprika and onion powder. Then it is barbecued and devoured with additional tankora (but only if you can handle the heat!)

Enjoy, or as they say in Niger, Bon appétit! (or A ci abinci lafiya if you speak Hausa)




A different kind of kebab: http://www.food.com/recipe/nigerian-suya-309911

Difficulty:         5

Appearance:    3

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

The dry rub spice mix was pretty easy to make, just throw everything into a blender and mix thoroughly. And with my new Scanpan knives, it was totes easy to slice the meat. Then all that was left was to dip the meat in the spices and barbecue. Oh, and then of course eat it!

Meat on a stick may not be the most appealing thing for some (unless you are Lady Leah), but the Suya after the grilling looked crunchy and smelled so appetising. I skewered pieces of onion, tomato and capsicum to add some colour to the dish and it contrasted the brown of the meat and the spice rub.

Now I have made this twice and as it always tends to go with my cooking, the first time was the best. Beginner's luck made the Suya succulent and tender yet crunchy, and it almost tasted like fried chicken. However the next time I made Suya, I must have got the spice ratio incorrect for this time it was mouth on fire! But still oh so good. For future reference, I recommend going easy on the cayenne. Unless you can stomach it that is. So thank you Niger for introducing me to Suya. With summer coming up in Australia, I envisage introducing to others and it being a stape for an Aussie BBQs.

Through A Second Kuskus Once Removed

NATIONAL DISH OF MAURITANIA - Kuskus with Roast Lamb


Well we have FINALLY come to the greatest day of the year. When the world stops what they are doing and celebrates a tradition that is old as anything from 1984....The birth of Leo! And in keeping with tradition, a grand affair was thrown including great friends, trash bagging, celebs, stylised dancing, pass outs (not Lady Lara this time but K Horns), creation of a breakaway group, and SO much drinking that St Kilda consequently became a Dry Zone!

And because I was too busy beautifying myself, I had to outsource the catering. Who better to outsource to than The GGJ?! There was gonna be normal finger food (however at FDW proportions), but we needed something more substantial for this auspicious occasion. Also some of the Molefaces had been on a winery tour and I thought they would need something substantial to line their stomachs. Plus it would allow me to use my fabulous birthday presents from The Molefaces, my wondrous Scanpan knives!

So a nice, healthy recipe was chosen for the national dish of Mauritania. Also since Leah and I have to flee to Mother Africa in 2012 for the end of the world, I thought she might as well get used to the food now.

The national dish of Mauritania is Kuskus with Roast Lamb. Basically it is a lamb sauce/stew placed atop some delicious couscous. Couscous is made from semolina (although apparently it was traditionally made from millet) and is a staple found throughout northern Africa. Producing the granules is a labour intensive method of rolling the semolina into pellets, sprinkling them with flour and then sieving them. The tiny granules that are too small are put through the process again until all you are left with are pellets. This used to take several days. Thankfully in these modern times we have machines that expediently create couscous and I don't have to get my millstone out.

For couscous to be properly cooked, the end result has to be light and fluffy. Instant couscous is a pre-cooked time saver that requires boiling in water for five minutes and then fluffing with a fork. But if you want something with actual flavour, then you got to go old school. This is of course easier said than done. Lining a colander with some cheesecloth over a boiling pot of water is an easy fix, but to do it properly you need a couscoussière. The meat and vegetables are stewed in the large, tall bottom pot, whilst on top of the base the couscous is steamed, absorbing the flavours of the stew below. Unfortunately I haven't been able to locate one.

So since it is my birthday, if anyone wants to buy me a couscoussière I won't object! (Others presents will also be accepted!)


Enjoy, or as they say in Mauritania,  !بالهنا والشفا (bil-hanā' wa ash-shifā')




The first recipe for The GGJ featuring couscous: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-mauritanian-lamb-couscous

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

Now ordinarily this would not be a drastically difficult dish to make, despite the number of processes it contains. But when you are throwing a Moleface shindig, you really have to plan ahead. All that goes in to decorating, creating an ambient music playlist, making sure there is enough ice and room in the fridge, and then producing sufficient finger food can be a workload and a half. But a little time management goes a long way, and if you happen to be running late, you can always expect The Molefaces to be running late as well!

This dish was certainly a feast for the eyes! Even whilst cooking I noticed the myriad of colours that went into producing the kuskus. And the aroma was intoxicating. Something very earthy and traditional about it. I love the compliments I get when people enter the house and there is a divinely aromatic stew a cooking. I placed the couscous on a large platter and then scooped the lamb stew on top. And paraded it into the lounge room to a lively applause from the appreciative audience.

The lamb stew was very tender and juicy. I loved that there wasn't much herbs or spices added to the stew and so it allowed all the flavours of the chunky vegetables to shine! This made the whole thing taste very pure and organic.
The couscous was amazing! The light and fluffy granules mixed well with the gritty chickpeas and the tartness of the dates and raisins. But the thing that makes the couscous heaven sent is the butter. Who am I kidding, butter makes EVERYTHING taste divine!

Thank you Molefaces and honourary Molefaces for helping me celebrate my anniversary of entering into this world. Your time and efforts were stellar and much appreciated! And for those that are still perplexed at why my birthday is not an international holiday, I say to you: I KNOW, RIGHT! But don't worry the lobbying shall continue and it will be only a matter of time before we get another day off for drinking and eating. How else would you celebrate my life?!

Like A Bhat Out Of Hell

NATIONAL DISH OF NEPAL - Dal Bhat

Namaste GGJ Pilgrims! Today we are ascending some of the highest mountains in the world (metaphorically of course) as we sample some delicious Nepalese vegetarian cuisine. Now I know you are thinking "Leo, just because Nepal has the greatest proportion of Hindus than any other country, doesn't mean that they are all strict vegetarians." Well I say to you, good factoid! Way to go with the knowledge! However, I didn't choose Dal Bhat to be the Nepali national dish. But I did choose to cook the national dish of Nepal based on its' vegetarianism, due to it being my favourite vegetarian's birthday, Lady Cara!

Lady Cara is an interesting Moleface. She has a few paradoxes. Smart as a whip, Lady Cara is very intelligent. But place her in a conversation of more than 3 people (especially a conversation between Molefaces) and she'll be lost quicker than the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815! We always have to remind her of upcoming events, especially if we want to see her at them. But due to her vagueness, Lady Cara has developed her own ingenious philosophies. From "time is time, but we'll never have that time again" to "does anyone feel like it's five hours ago but now?", she is a venerable monk.

Unfortunately, Lady Cara does cop some flack from The Molefaces. As she is a vegetarian in a group of devout meateaters, she is generally catered for separately when we dine together. For instance, when we have BBQs, Molefaces feel there is no need to make salads for Lady Cara. She can always eat bread and sauce! Plus as everyone knows, you don't win friends with salad! And as avid GGJ pilgrims will remember, she is never gonna live down not putting peanut butter in the spiders! Despite all this, Lady Cara is still the Queen of the baked treats (if you exclude Hay Rae and myself)!

However, she is thoroughly genuine. What you see is blessedly what you get with Lady Cara. Compassion and tolerance in abundance, Lady Cara is always willing to extend a listening ear. And dismissive she is not, as without exception Lady Cara finds the positives in people and situations, and is willing to give people many chances at redemption. Even with these incredible traits, don't try to take advantage of her kindness, cause Lady Cara don't suffer no fools! So I thought we would find an extra special vegetarian national dish to cook for her birthday.

Dal bhat is a staple dish found across Nepal and consists of a lentil soup (Dal) and steamed rice (bhat). It is generally eaten twice a day, first in the mid-morning and then later in the early evening. At higher elevations, where rice is harder to grow, it may be substituted for other grains such as maize, millet or barley. Recipes for the dal vary from different ethnic groups, localities and even from different seasons. The lentils may be cooked with tomatoes, onion, chilli, ginger and garlic. But most recipes contain coriander, garam masala, cumin and tumeric. Dal bhat is often accompanied by a vegetable curry (tarkari), and a portion of pickle or chutney. Although a chicken, goat or fish curry and yoghurt may replace the tarkari.

 Enjoy, or as they say in Nepal, Masti garna!



A vegetarian national dish is rare, but look no further for the recipe: http://tbird86ghz.blogspot.com/2008/10/recipe-nepali-dal-baht.html

Difficulty:         4

Appearance:    4

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

Not a very difficult dish to make, which one would expect from a dish that doesn't involve cooking meat. The dal has a few processes but that is nothing to baulk at. The only thing that made this meal slightly difficult to cook was having two Molefaces in my kitchen. My kitchen is basically the size of a matchbox, and it is hard enough for me to find space on my own. But with 2 lovely ladies "performing" what could only be described as a skit about bus travel between Broadie and Franger, cooking time is extending dramatically. Eventually we sat down to eat, so all's well that ends well.

Well the bhat looked like it should, it was white and fluffy. But since it is rice, I guess I cannot really expect more from it than it is. The dal on the other hand looked nothing like rice. The lentils smelled amazing with all the spices and herbs and the taste was something I had never experienced before. The texture of the lentils and the vegetables mixed with the mustard flavour of the turmeric and the earthy aroma of the jeera (cumin), produced a taste sensation. And as you would have heard in the video it was totes brothy! Perfect for any cold winters night. And with the side dishes of the chutney and tarkari it provided a venerable feast of colour.

And to top it off we of course had to have a birthday cake. Lady Cara has a weakness for chocolate, so she was an easy birthday diner to cook for. So for her I made a simple Chocolate Butter Cake. The cake devoured and the bus finally reaching its' destination the ladies left my kitchen. With full bellies and contented faces. Hope you enjoyed your specially vegetarian GGJ dinner Lady Cara, for it may be a while before we come across another non-meaty national dish!

We'll Take To The Yard Like A Coq [Au Vin] Fight

NATIONAL DISH OF FRANCE - Coq Au Vin

Bienvenue GGJ Pilgrims! We've finally reached the land of the venerable French cuisine! The French and all that comes with them are very close to my heart, and their food is particularly close to my stomach.

Across the Seine to La Tour Eiffel

One of the highlights of my life was travelling to France in 2008. And although I only got to set foot in Paris, it was a dream come true. My Contiki tour ended in Paris, and while most left to go back to London, I decided to remain in La Ville-Lumière for an extra week. This was during a bitter winter, where it rained nearly everyday. Added to that, I was alone and had basically no money left, so spent most of the days just walking around the arrondissements. In spite of this I have never felt so enamored with a city!

stunning Parisian sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Entering the city, our tour guide showed off the architectural highlights. I was so fixated on each individual building that I wasn't taking in the whole landscape. We pulled out the front of l'École Militaire, which has been a Military College since 1750, and were told to see if we could find the soldiers training with lasers. This was to distract from what was around us, and when we were eventually told to turn right I was gobsmacked. That was the first time I saw La Tour Eiffel. Hopping off the bus and standing at the base of the Eiffel Tour is an indelible memory, and I was so awestruck (not to mention craning my neck sky high) that I didn't notice the hip height stone columns surrounding it. My shins were in pain, but nothing was gonna stop me from climbing that majestic structure right to the top! Except the wind, which was so blustery they closed off the 3rd level. Although I did go back a few days later and finally made it to the top!


I could write a novel about my times in Paris, but this post is long as it is. But the rest of my time was filled with great sights, sounds, drinks and of course food! From the Moulin Rouge to Musée du Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris to Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris has it all and more! And although Melbourne is still my favourite place in the world, Paris does come a close second!


With SO many delicious meals originating in this wonderful country it is quite hard to choose one that is most distinguishable as the national dish. Boeuf à la bourguignonne, bouillabaisse, cassoulet are just some of the dishes that spring to mind when you mention French gastronomy. I choose Coq au vin as the dish to cook, which is chicken braised in red wine, lardons and mushrooms. To me it symbolises the rich, hearty and rustic style of French cooking and it one of the best meals for sharing communally for a celebration and even just a Sunday meal. And of course there has to be plenty of vin to be consumed alongside it.


If you're an avid GGJ reader, and genuine GGJ pilgrim, you know that my love for amateur cooking began with a gift of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was one of the best gifts I have received and I am in deep gratitude to my best friend Emma for starting me on my culinary path. So as an homage to Julia, I've decided to use her recipe for Coq au vin. Now you might be thinking "Sacrilège! Julia est américainne, pas le française!", and I say to you WOAH! lovely French speaking person. Whilst it is true that Julia is American, she developed the cookbook with two authentically genuine Frenchy McFrench madames from traditional French recipes. So by the transitive property I am essentially cooking with Julia Child! Tick that off the list of things to do in life!

This installment of The GGJ was constructed to celebrate La Fête Nationale, or as we say en anglais, Bastille Day. This day is generally thought, and rightfully so, to be the celebration of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, and the French people seizing power from the oppressive monarchy. However, I have found with research that it is to commemorate the anniversary of a GIANT feast that was held in 1790, which in turn was held to commemorate the anniversary of storming the Bastille. And I thought... celebrating past Fat Diabetic Whore feasts with another Fat Diabetic Whore feast... that is right up the alley of The Molefaces. So over they came for some French gastronomic good times!


Enjoy, or as they say in France, Bon appétit!



For Julia's classic Coq Au Vin recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/chicken-in-red-wine-with-onions-mushrooms-and-bacon-coq-au-vin-recipe/index.html

Difficulty:         3

Appearance:    5

Taste:               4

TOTAL:            12

Note: Difficulty is scaled in reverse to the other categories, where 1 =  was extremely difficult to make, and 5 = was easy to make. 

For this splendiferous french delight, I used the famous Julia Child recipe. As detailed and process-filled as Julia recipes generally can be, and this certainly is one of those, I have cooked it several times. So I am pretty down with the Coq au vin, Julia style. But the chicken still simmers for about 2 hours, so that gives you time for the other components.

Now as I've said I have cooked this a few times, and have used different vin rouge. This has produced various hues to the chicken, from rustic brown to funky purple! This time however, it did look as it was supposed to. Taking just the chicken, it was a pleasant looking dish, but when served with a helping of gravy alongside some shallots and mushrooms it brings the salivating to a whole new level. Finally, when accompanied with some sides like butter beans and egg noodles, it paints a picture that could be found on any table throughout the French countryside.

And the taste was magnifique! A perfect meal to be had on a cold winters night (as July 14th is during winter in Australia). The meat was so tender it was falling off the bone. And the thickened gravy with bacon was divine! Washed down with some Burgundy and Côtes du Rhône, it was a typical meal that The Molefaces love to enjoy. All I need now is to find some way to get back to France