As you know, I was born and bred in France. But did I ever mention that my family is from Madagascar? My parents moved from this Indian ocean island off the coast of South Africa to Paris over 50 years ago. At the time, Madagascar had recently regained its independence from the French, but strong ties remained between the two countries with strong trade relations or exchange programs.
Mum and Dad came separately to study and met in Paris. As the story goes, they fell in love, had children, completed their studies, got jobs and what was intended as a temporary stay turned into a permanent move. I am sure it was a challenging time for them, juggling many balls and making the decision of a lifetime…My early childhood memories are of my brothers and I spending week days “a la creche” (daycare), collected by my parents in the evening. Weekends were a blur of family activities, often revolving around people gathering at our place. The Madagascan community was (and still is) quite tight knit and I remember many visits from newly arrived relatives or family friends, celebrations in halls or organised sports events…As a young child I seemed to have a myriad of cousins spread all over Paris, Dijon, Nancy, Tours…and for a while, many long weekends were devoted to meet this extended family.
My strongest recollection of these gatherings is the amount of food laid on the table. Abundance is the key to a Malagasy feast. It is good form for the host to have plenty to offer to guests and if variety may not matter so much, quantity certainly does.
Rice is the main staple in the madagascan diet, just like pasta is to Italy and potato to Ireland!
It is usually accompanied by beef, chicken, fish or pork dishes. These can be boiled, braised, fried or grilled. Vegetables are rarely served as a stand alone dish but rather used to add flavour and complement the rice: green leafy broth, tomato “rougail” (similar to Mexican tomato salsa) or “achard” (an assortment of julienned vegetables, pickled with ginger, chili and garlic) are standard features in a malagasy kitchen. As far as snacks go, you can’t go past small cakes and fritters called “mofo” made of rice flour batter and fried or the delicious “sambos” ( meat version of fried samosas).
The funny thing is that growing up, I ate “french” during the day: baguette and hot chocolate for breakfast, roast chicken and vegetable at the school canteen, small cake for “le gouter” (afterschool treat)…and madagascan for dinner: always. always, always rice with a small serving of protein and salad on the side. The malagasy connection slowly faded however as the years went by: my mother learnt to cook “proper” french and would only serve traditional malagasy on special occasions, I moved out of home and discovered other cuisines during my travels…For the past 30 years or so, there was always something new to taste.
Then, my parents came to visit us in Sydney last month. While I thought they’d be keen on hitting the road and tour around the country, it turned out that they were just as happy taking over my kitchen and spoil us with good food. I, for once, didn’t mind and enjoyed the opportunity to sit on the other side of the bench watching and taking notes! That’s when I realised that no matter how many gourmet meals I concocted, light and healthy options I experimented with, there is nothing like a dish made with love by your mum (and dad!) Even my kids know the difference between their nan’s cooking and mine: they say the kitchen smells better ( of baked apple cake, or garlic beef stew!). I guess I still have a long way to go!
For 6 weeks, I went back to being the daughter, enjoying and sharing some of my favourite childhood meals with my own kids, listening to old family stories and rediscovering the comfort of malagasy food…life is a big circle: from Madagascar to Paris to Sydney…where to next?
Mofo sakay
Mofo satay (right) served with a chili dipping sauce
This is a savoury fritter, you can spice up with extra chili, or chopped tomatoes if desired.
Makes about 30
Ingredients
2 cups rice flour
2 cups plain flour
warm water (enough to make a smooth batter)
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
3 spring onions, sliced
1/2 tsp each of ground coriander and ground cumin
Oil for frying
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, you can leave it overnight in the fridge if you wish.
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Scoop out a tablespoon of batter and deep fry for a few minutes until golden. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot
Achard de legumes
This mix of pickled vegetables is commonly served with rice, but is also delicious on sandwiches or even with cheese! A word of warning: there is a lot of vegetable slicing, so allow for time…A food processor comes in handy, though my father reckons the veggies taste better if sliced by hand. Considering the work involved, we always make a big batch and keep in sealed jars in the fridge!
Makes lots!
Ingredients
500g green beans
1kg carrots
1 white cabbage
1/2 celery
1 green capsicum
1 red capsicum
1 cauliflower
1 onion
1 piece of ginger (approx 15g)
3 garlic cloves
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
some chili, (optional)
Salt and pepper
Peel and grate the carrots (I use a food processor). Trim the vegetables. Julienne the green beans, celery, capsicums. Slice the cabbage thinly, cut the cauliflower into small florets.
Blanch the vegetables in boiling water, drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Peel and slice the onion and ginger. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
In a saucepan, heat a little oil, saute the onions and garlic until golden (careful not to burn them), add spices and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, add in vinegar and stir well ( stand back as mixture will spit and bubble up!) Immediately pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and let it cool down. The achard can be eaten the same day, but tastes better after a few days, once the flavours have developed.
Rougail de tomates
This dish is dead simple to make, very similar to the tomato salsa we used to find in Mexico. My mum often serves it with plain rice, she says it’s the easiest vegetable dish to cook!
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
3 tomatoes
1 white onion
1 tbsp white vinegar
salt
chili (optional)
Chop the tomatoes and onion finely by hand ( do not use a food processor as it will turn them into a puree!).
Mix in a bowl with the vinegar and add salt to taste.
Set aside for 30 minutes to allow for flavours to develop. Serve with rice as an accompaniment to grilled or stewed meat.
Ample supplies of Achard and Rougail!
Vary amin’anana
This version of vary amin’anana has extra meat and sausages added, it is traditionally less meaty.
My kids call this dish madagascan risotto: a porridge-like mix of rice, green leaves and diced meat. This is my idea of comfort food, when you want something satisfying minus the fat and sugar. In fact, vary amin’anana is typically served to the sick or the elderly and I can attest to its restoring virtues as breakfast food for the morning after…
Serves 4-6 as a main course
Ingredients
1 bunch each of radish leaves, spinach leaves, green shallots, watercress ( a single type of leaves is Ok , if you can’t find the variety )
500g stewing beef meat (like chuck or short ribs), diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tomato, diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
4 cups of long grain rice
Clean and cut the leaves in fine shreds. Set aside.
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and saute until browned on all sides. Add chopped onion, ginger and stir, let the meat cook in its own juice/fat until tender ( add a little water if it sticks to the bottom of the pan).
Then stir in the shredded green leaves, rice, garlic and add enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is cooked.
Serve hot.
Hena ritrå
The technique for this dish is comparable to making confit: the meat is simmered in just enough water to cover it, and as the liquid evaporates it cooks in its own rendered fat, until turning crispy and delicious. You will need a relatively fatty piece of meat, I commonly use beef chuck or pork belly, but duck legs and chicken thighs work equally well.
Serves 4-6 as a main course
Ingredients
1 kg stewing meat like beef chuck
1 tsp salt
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 knob of ginger (25g), peeled and grated
1 cup of water
Cut the meat into medium sized pieces. Place in a large casserole and cook over low heat, covered, with the garlic and ginger for about 15 minutes until the fat is rendered.
Once the fat has melted, add salt and water, cover again and let the meat cook until all the liquid is evaporated. approx 1 1/2 hour.
Uncover and allow the meat to fry in its own fat for a few minutes until well browned and caramelised.
Serve hot (the fat will solidify if left to cool down)
How do you like your cheese?
My first choice is fresh and unadorned, served on a platter with nothing more than fresh bread or crackers, the French way. Sometimes we add elements of sweetness like fig paste or quince jam, to cut thru a pungent blue cheese.
These cheese platters nearly always feature on our dinner table, though in typical australian fashion, they are served before dinner as an accompaniment to drinks ( I am still to convince any of my australian relatives and friends to have cheese for dessert!). You can’t find an easier way to entertain, in my books and I always have a reserve of delicious cheeses sitting in my fridge at the ready. Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Having impromptu visitors? Just put a platter together, open a nice bottle of wine (red or white, no rules here!) and enjoy a fuss free evening…
We’ve had many visitors in the past few weeks, joining us for several celebrations and I can’t tell you how many cheese platters have been served! The funny thing though is that after a while we all looked for variety in our offering of “aperitifs” and started to switch to different options, some lighter than others ( think bowls of nuts vs savoury fritters!). No complaints from the writer, it was a culinary feast all along.
But that has meant a fridge full of cheeses, some leftovers from a previous party, others still waiting to be opened. And with our guests now gone, I find myself faced with the dilemma of disposing of of some of these goodies ( yes, a horrifying thought even if my kids point to how stinky some of the parcels are!) or incorporating them in every single dish until we’re thru them all. Needless to say that I rejected the former option and have embarked on a mission to come up with ways to enjoy cheese daily, other than on a platter.
Here is a picture of what is in my fridge today: parmesan, blue cheese, double brie, double cream, greek sheep’s cheese, cheddar, jarslberg, flavoured cream cheese and more blue cheese. All awaiting transformation once my imagination kicks in.
In the meantime, last night was the fist challenge, when I dealt with a container full of left over cheese, which had been begging for attention for days (ok, weeks). The selection was: Meredith Ash goat cheese (VIC), South Cape Gouda (VIC), King Island Smoked Cheddar and King Island Roaring Forties Blue cheese (TAS). There is no “before” photo as I don’t want to gross anyone out with the aged appearance of the cheeses. Suffice to say that when my daughter queried my scraping of the rind, I replied “just in case you’re allergic to penicillin”. It was a joke of course!!!
Since I had no hope of anyone tasting cheese “that old” I decided to cook it and turn it into a cheese pie with the help of some grapes which also happened to be on their way out ( my tip: cut off the soft parts!). Add the usual eggs and sour cream mixture, pour into a pastry shell as for a quiche, bake and voila!
The overall flavour of the dish will depend on the cheese ratio: the gouda and blue make it smooth, while the goat cheese lends a certain tanginess and the cheddar brings a hint of smokiness. But don’t take my word for it, feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand, and create your own left over cheese pie. The final words go to my son who upon seeing the grapes could not tell if the pie was for main course or dessert, but later said “ I am so glad you followed your instincts mum, that was a brilliant idea!” Feeling happy.
Cheese and Grape Pie
Serves 6 as a starter
Ingredients
1 frozen sheet of store-bought shortcrust pastry, thawed out at room temperature until pliable
3-4 cups of mixed left over cheeses (smoked cheddar, edam, blue cheese and goat cheese), roughly chopped, rind removed
1 cup mixed grapes, washed and trimmed
1 tub (250g) sour cream
3 large eggs
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C
- Roll out the thawed out pastry until it forms a rough circle and place in a 28cm pie dish.
- Scatter the chopped cheese in the dish, mixing the flavours evenly. Add the grapes and arrange them so they are also spread throughout.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and the sour cream together, add pepper to taste ( no need for salt, the cheese is already salty). Pour the mixture over the cheese and grapes. Trim the edges of the pastry if needed.
- Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
- Serve warm with a green salad for a light lunch or at room temperature on its own as a snack. Enjoy!
As far as I can remember, Easter in Sydney has always been rainy and cold, but not this year.Not that I am complaining about the Indian summer we’ve had. I mean, who would ever tire of balmy nights and sunny warm days extending for ever… Salads and BBQ anything have been staples thru February and March, to the point where the family was craving for a good old roast or casserole. Then Autumn finally arrived yesterday, with a change of wind and a temperature drop of about 15C. Perfect opportunity to dine inside and taste soup.
We have been very busy lately with new business ventures and preparing the house for upcoming visitors, and there has been too many store bought dinners and easy-carb-filled options substituting for nutritious meals. So with the cooling weather yesterday, I decided to get back into “proper” cooking mood and concoct something quick and nutritious for dinner: Soup.
It had to be carrot soup, as they were the only vegetable in the fridge, and turning them into sticks for dip dind’t appeal to anyone. Then I came across this post from Smitten Kitchen, fell in love with the simplicity of it and had to try it. I tweaked a couple of things ( swapped white miso for red, left out the sesame oil only because we had ran out of it!) but the result was an astonishing tasty soup, more savoury than sweet thanks to the miso addition. And I am pleased to report that with hardly any fat added in, this soup is probably a welcome addition to hosts catering for “special diets “ (think gluten free, grain free, meat free, nut free, ect..) or calorie-conscious guests.
Carrot soup with ginger and miso
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4-6 for starters
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
800g carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion chopped
6 small garlic cloves
1 tbsp grated ginger
4 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 cup of red miso
A handful of spring onions and chopped coriander, to serve
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, crushed garlic cloves and saute for a few minutes, until onion is translucid. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. In a small bowl, mix the miso with a 1/2 cup of soup mixture. Stir back into the pot of soup.Taste and adjust the seasoning as required (it should already be quite salty from the miso)
- Garnish with coriander and spring onions and enjoy!
We have been so busy the past few weeks. that we’ve hardly had any time to go out and socialise, let alone eat out. Then, last Saturday a girlfriend flew in from Queensland, wanting to catch up, on the same day I organised to take Terry out in the city for dinner. Luckily the first outing was for brunch in nearby Cronulla while the dinner was scheduled for much much later.
Here is the recount of a very busy eating day, polar opposite experiences, yet a common thread: seriously good food!
Gerrale Street Kitchen, Cronulla
Opened for a couple of month, this place hails itself as “a kitchen inspired by LA dining trends in the heart of Cronulla”. I am not sure what it means, but first impressions were of of a large canteen bathed in natural light and overlooking the massive open kitchen. It reminded me of my French high school canteen hall with the neutral decorations and the long seats. Already it looks popular with mums and bubs (judging by the numbers of prams parked near the tables), post-surf/gym goers, and anybody who’s up for brunch on a saturday morning!
Anne and I showed up 15 minutes late, which was 15 minutes earlier than our guest of honour Kylie. I noticed the waitresses were hovering around our table, probably wondering how long it would take before we’d all order. Admittedly, we were on the cusp of changing from breakfast to lunch shift, so the pressure was on to order breakfast NOW before the kitchen closed for a break and lunch prep. By the time Kylie arrived, she was in a fluster from being so late, and made profusely apologies not only to us (no need really, isn’t is what friends are for?), but the staff (who by then had pretty sour faces) and the manager who surprised us all by giving her a bear hug and say all was ok! Now that’s a welcome.
The breakfast menu is lovely, revisiting old classic ( bacon and egg roll, toasted brioche with smoked salmon and poached egg…) and suggesting more unusual offerings ( smoked ocean trout and black rice, kale cabbage and spinach on polenta bread…) The menu tends to be savoury (7 out of 11 choices) and kids options are remarkably free of sweets. I am not sure if the choice is deliberate, but if you are looking for simple pancakes and muffins this is not the place. Not that the 6 kids at the table minded; they all feasted on warm waffles with whipped cinnamon ricotta, yuzu curd (not after checking what it meant!) and raspberries ($15) washed down by chocolate and salted caramel shakes ($7.50). Fairly grown up tastes for 12 year olds!
As for the adults, most went for the classic brioche and smoked salmon ($16) or the french toast, rhubarb, berries and chantilly cream ($16) while I opted for the smoked ocean trout with black rice, preserved lemon and pine nuts ($16). I know it is odd fare for breakfast, more of a salad than a morning dish but the flavours were delicious! A little salty from the preserved lemon, smoky from the black rice and pine nuts; I just wish there was more on my plate.
Overall I can’t fault the food at all, it was very good. The service on the other hand was inconsistent. While the manager was warm and accomodating, the waiting staff lacked in people’s skills. One particular waitress acted very sullen and cranky. When one of our guests asked if the yuzu curd could be substituted with cream for the young girls, the waitress took a good minute to respond, and even then it was a simple shake of the head as if to say “OK, but really I am doing you a favour today, normally changes are not permitted”. Maybe she got annoyed by our group ordering late, or maybe she had a bad day…Then she came back a few minutes later stating there was no decaf available. Seriously, a cafe that size on a saturday morning, she may as well have announced they had run out of milk or toilet paper. These are staples and I hope the purchasing officer made a note of that! Of course none of these issues are deal breakers in my book, however with so many new restaurants opening in Cronulla recently, all serving excellent food, customer service and attention to details will make the biggest difference. I’d be happy to go back, after I’ve tried all the other new joints in Cronulla!
Manta, Woolloomoolo
Lately I have been researching potential dinner venues for a family celebration later this year. The brief includes accomodating around 20 guests, great views and surroundings of the city if possible, offering some degree of privacy for our party and of course, serving fine food, preferably nut and shellfish free to avoid disasters with allergies. It doesn’t sound so difficult, right? Though that means ruling out any asian restaurants (too risky with Marc), enclosed dining rooms (no views) or noisy club-style establishments (no privacy).
Manta was recommended to me as one of the finest restaurants in the city, and it seemed to fit the bill on paper. One way to find out more was to try it for ourselves, So I grabbed Terry, who for once didn’t complain about the 50 minutes train ride in the city and having to dress up. Our booking was for 8.30pm, quite late in our books, but I figured that we could stop and have a drink at a couple of other places beforehand. Like you know, enjoy a bit of a pub crawl, as we used to decades ago…
It was a lovely balmy night, perfect for a stroll in the city so much so that we skipped on the pub crawl to wander thru Hyde park and the Botanical Garden instead ( for those of you who know my husband, the only reason he didn’t ask to stop at a bar is because he had “pre-loaded” at the house with the boys before we left!).
Manta is located on Woolloomooloo wharf, home to several upmarket restaurants and bars. The area was revamped a few years ago, the warehouse once used to ship wool now turned into a high end boutique hotel and residential development. When we arrived around 8pm, most restaurants terraces were full, and the boardwalk was buzzing with people wandering and checking the expensive boats moored in the marina. Manta had plenty of tables inside where we were seated, quite a good thing actually as there was plenty of light and we still had a magnificent view of the city skyline.
The menu features lots of seafood, mostly Australian but also from New Zealand and further afar. Meat options are limited to beef and pork cutlets, apparently top quality, but I was surprised there was no lamb, chicken or duck on offer. Not a problem for us, and in fact it strikes me as a deliberate choice to focus on prime produce the chef cooks well rather than cater to all tastes.
Courtesy of Manta
For starters, Terry ordered the Pacific oysters ($4.50 each) , which were deliciously crispy and briny. They were accompanied by small dishes of mignonette dressing and spring onion vinaigrette, but honestly they didn’t need anything added. Fresh and simple is best! I had the raw tasting plate ($24) which consisted of 3 small samples of the most popular seafood entrees: kingfish carpaccio with green apple vinaigrette, prawn ceviche with chilli, garlic, lime and fennel, and king salmon tartare with wasabi citrus dressing. All very enjoyable, I absolutely fell in love with the carpaccio and so wished there was more of it!
Mains were Patagonian tooth fish for Mr T ($55) and Ora King salmon for me ($44). Expectations were high for the first tasting of a dish we’d known served in the USA quite a lot but had not seen on australian menus so far. The fish didn’t disappoint: the white flesh was moist almost fatty, flavour was mild and delicate (ie no strong fishy smell!!)…it has to be one of the best tasting fish ever. Sadly, the serving was on the small side, undoubtedly due to the scarcity of the fish stock and the associated high cost. As Mr T commented: 4 mouthfuls and it’s gone! My salmon in comparison was better value, and tasted equally as good. Interestingly it wasn’t as oily as some other salmon I’ve had before, which would indicate it could have been wild caught rather than farmed? (I didn’t ask the chef, this is all me guessing!) We were encouraged to order some side dishes, as the mains come with very little un terms of accompaniments. We picked the hand cut chips ( the plain ones, not the parmesan and truffle version!) and roasted brown mushrooms. Both were a hit, though the chips may have been a mistake as we filled up on them and were left with no room for dessert!.
While the food was excellent, the service was just ok. We had 3 different waiting staff thru the whole evening, all friendly though the first one was a tad overzealous and expecting us to order food before even getting our drinks. Things settled down during dinner though, and in fact, we were pretty much left to linger once our coffees were served. No pressure to vacate the table, as you sometimes feel in other restaurants. And with a great view of the city skyline and harbour all lit up, the wharf nearly to yourself (it was 10.30pm by then)…why would you rush?
Courtesy of Manta
So, while it was a very enjoyable evening for two, did Manta pass the test for a group celebration? Unfortunately not for me. The “private” dining room consisted of a section of the restaurant partitioned with a light curtain and opening onto the terrace. While this may mean some separation from the other guests, it would not help with the noise, and believe me, when this place is full with people outside and inside, noise levels can be quite high. Also, though the setting is beautiful with high ceilings and beautiful views, it lacks a certain feeling of intimacy…I am not sure I’d enjoy sharing my special occasion knowing I am surrounded by 100 strangers. Call me spoiled, I know!
Here is a very easy dinner to make at home or on the boat. It uses very common ingredients, often found in the fridge any day of the week: tomatoes, ham, leeks (or onions), eggs…This is my take on Huevos Rancheros or Shakshuka: eggs cooked in a tomato based sauce. It only takes a few minutes to prepare (mostly chopping), cook (let the tomatoes stew for a while), and most importantly, satisfies any appetite. Just add more eggs for hungrier guests!! My son likes to scramble the eggs and sprinkle grated cheese in the mixture, for a super rich lunch. I prefer breaking whole eggs in and cook undisturbed for a poached effect, but the choice is yours. Omitting the ham makes the dish a vegetarian one, and vegans might want to leave the eggs out altogether. By then though, you’re talking about another dish…
Serve with warm tortillas, on toast, boiled rice or even pasta. I happened to have loads of pumpkins and potatoes at home, so roasted a trayful of them and served the eggs on top. Bliss…..!
Eggs in tomato sauce
Serves 3-4 as a light meal
Ingredients
1 leek (or onion), washed and trimmed, thinly sliced
1 kg ripe tomatoes, cut into big chuncks
3 cups ham, chopped roughly
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic salt
6 eggs
A handful of parsley, to garnish
1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frypan. Add sliced leek and sautee until leek is soft (careful not to burn!). Add ham, dried herbs and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the chunks of tomatoes and stir to combine. Simmer on high to medium heat for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring often. Season to taste.
3. Break the eggs individually onto the sauce. Cook undisturbed until the whites are set to your liking ( I put the lid on to speed up the process and keep the yolks soft and runny).
4. Sprinkle with parsley leaves, and drizzle of extra olive oil and serve immediately with roasted potatoes and pumpkin.
5. Enjoy!
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