CHEF-EXPLORER

Merry Christmas to all my 'Chef-Explorer out there. Here is recipe as presented at local EVENTS and on RADIO SHOW and in book TASTE OF THE WORLD. CHOCOLATE SNOWBALLS   Ingredients 500g chocolate =*A Good Cooking Chocolate 300ml cream Dessicated Coconut Icing sugar Ground Almonds A liquor to flavour (optional for adults!) CHOCOLATE GANACH 1.      Melt chocolate GENTLY in a stainless steel bowl over a pan of simmering water 2.      Bring cream to the boil in a separate saucepan. 3.      Remove from the heat and whisk in chocolate. 4.      Pour into a deep tray and place in fridge to set. 5.      Mould into balls for about the size of a small snowball. 6.      Mix the coconut and icing sugar (and optional  almonds) in a tray 7.       Roll balls in the ‘snow’ mix and keep in the fridge until read...

Frikadeller (Danish Meat Balls) Here is the Recipe from Denmark as presented on Radio Ellenbrook Makes 8 – 10  250 g boneless veal 250 g boneless pork 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 3 tabs flour Up to 200ml soda water 1 egg, well beaten 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 50 g butter 2 tabs veg oil Method Put the veal, pork and chopped onion twice through the finest blade of a mincer, (or get the butcher to mince the meats together and then grate in the onion yourself). In a large mixing bowl, vigorously beat the flour into the minced meat mixture with a wooden spoon, or use the electric mixer equipped with a  paddle.  Gradually beat in the soda water, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue to beat until the meat is light and fluffy.  Now thoroughly beat in the egg, salt and pepper.  Cover the bowl with aluninium foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour; this will ma...

CHEF FOR STARTERS: A TASTE OF EUROPE Here is the Dutch Bitterballen recipe covering the country of Holland. Full profile and other recipes will be in new book . Dutch Bitterballen These are a tasty starter that are often served as a snack in Dutch bars and cafés, and may also form part of a selection of fried finger foods. Originally they were made from  left over beef stew like a ragout, but for this recipe I use minced beef. While often translated as 'bitter balls' they do not have a bitter taste. The name, in fact, refers to the tradition of serving these deep-fried snacks with bitters, such as   ‘Jenever’ but nowadays they are more often enjoyed with beer. There are countless variations on this recipe from vegetable, cheese and even shrimps but this beef version is a classic. Serve with mustard, such as Dijon or make a Dijonnaise dip. Ingredients  (for 16 balls) 50g onions finely diced 300g minced beef 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 8...

CHEF-EXPLORER'S A-Z OF WORLD-BELGIUM Check facebook for photo and tips...the key point here is a QUALITY chocolate! BELGIUM CHOCOLATE CAKE I call this a Belgium chocolate cake simply because I use perhaps the best chocolate in the World from Belgium! 300g Self raising flour 100g Cocoa powder 1 T-Spoon Baking powder 250g Butter 250g Caster sugar 4 Beaten eggs-Large Creme Chantilly 200ml whipping cream A dash of  Vanilla essence 20g sugar 1.      Sieve and well mix the dry ingredients in a big bowl 2.      Cream butter and sugar  until nearly white 3.      Gradually add eggs to stage 2 4.      Lightly fold into stage 1 5.      Grease and line cake tin and bake at 180 c for 30-40 minutes approx depending on your oven 6.      When cool, whip up the chantilly ingredients. 7.      Slice ...

FEIJOADA This dish is regarded as Brazil’s national dish and in fact is very international in its ingredients. The beans and hot peppers come from Mexico, the meats from Portugal and the recipe from African cooks. Only the Cassava that it would be traditionally served with is native Brazilian. INGREDIENTS 400G diced pork 350g black beans, pre soaked and cooked 250g smoked sliced sausage 2 chopped onions 4 cloves chopped garlic 200ml chicken stock 2 bayleaves 2 handfuls fresh chopped Parsley 1 chopped paprika pepper or chilli pepper to taste (optional) Salt and pepper METHOD Cook the pre soaked beans as packet instructions until tender, Drain and reserve approx 100ml of the bean cooking liquor. In separate pan, sauté and brown pork with onions and garlic. Add the sausage and simmer 10 mins. Add the beans and rest of ingredients (keep some parsley for garnish) including bean liquor and simmer gently covered for 30 mins...

Ok Radio Ellenbrook listeners and Chef Explorer followers, try this tasty , yet easy to prep dish from my 'Taste of the World' book Spanish Chicken & Chorizo with Catalan Sauce Ingredients  ( Serves 8-10) 12 chicken joints, such as thighs and drumsticks* 50 ml olive oil 2 small onion, sliced 6 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 red,1 green and 1 yellow capsicum deseeded and sliced 1 chopped Red chilli 120ml dry sherry 800g can chopped tomatoes 2x bay leaf The zest of 2 orange rind 350g chorizo, sliced 100g pitted black olives Salt and black pepper 400 ml chicken stock Method Place chicken joints in a large non-stick frying pan and fry in a little oil for 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.  Remove chicken and set aside. Add oil to the pan and fry onion, garlic and capsicum for 3-4 minutes.  Return chicken to the pan with the chilli, sherry, stock, tomatoes, bay leaf and orange zest....

'A Taste of Europe' the second book in the Chef Explorer Series is 1/2 complete. Here is a recipe from the country of Belgium as discussed on my Chef & Music Explorer Show on Radio Ellenbrook 88fm.   BELGIUM CHOCOLATE CAKE I call this a Belgium chocolate cake simply because I use perhaps the best chocolate in the World from Belgium! 300g Self raising flour 100g Cocoa powder 1 T-Spoon Baking powder 200g Butter 200g Caster sugar 4 Beaten eggs Creme Chantilly 20ml whipping cream Dash  of Vanilla essence 20g sugar 1.      Sieve and well  mix dry ingredients 2.      Cream butter and sugar  until nearly white 3.      Gradually add eggs to stage 2 4.      Lightly fold into  the flour mixture 5.      Grease and line cake tin and bake at 180 c  for 30 minutes approx 6.      When cool, whip up th...

I am Exploring Lancashire at the moment though the weather isn't making it any easier! England has had the wettest 2 months on record! Something about the 'Jet Stream'. Which should be blowing above the British Isles this time of year.Just my luck to go 'Chef-Exploring' in me old country to find that the Jet Stream has drooped! Anyway, such is life, one can still eat and explore regardless of weather. I know that 'Lancashire Hop-Pot' is a common dish in these parts and usually served up in winter, but no matter, its raining, so give it a try. For those of you who have never made it, its traditional to use the cheap cuts and offal of Lamb as that's where the flavour is LANCASHIRE HOTPOT (4 Portions) 1 kg lamb neck chops (about 8) 3 Tabs Dripping or olive oil 180g prepared lambs kidneys 400g sliced leeks 200g sliced celery (2 sticks approx) 400g sliced carrots 1 kg thinly sliced potatoes 1 tab fresh thyme leaves 2 tabs chopped pa...

Here is the traditional recipe for the Pate callled Leverpostej DENMARK 2012 Old fashioned Danish Leverpostej. Ingredients. 500g pork liver 200g unsalted bacon 4-5 anchovy fillets 2 onions 60gflour ½ l milk 2 whole eggs 2 tsp salt Coarsely ground pepper 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme Method • Mince liver, bacon, anchovies and onions in mincer 1-2 times depending of how coarse you want the Leverpostej. • Whisk flour and cold milk together in a pan, heat up while whisking and boil through. Take the pan of the heat and cool down a bit. • Stir in liver mixture and then the eggs. Stir well. Add salt pepper and thyme. • Pour the mixture in an ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven in bain mari at 175c. Cooking time depends on the size of the dish. ¾ hour -1 ½ hour. • The Leverpostej is baked without lid and in the bottom of the oven. Handy tip.. The leverpostej can also be frozen before it is baked. You then just take it out of the freezer and b...

COUNTRY NO 10:           AUSTRIA The SPOTLIGHT     The ALPS, Mozart, sound of Music,  Freud, schnitzel and strudel.  A night at the Opera in Vienna and the xmas markets, mulled wine, snow capped mountains, the Waltz. OR in my imagination, Waltzing along the streets of Vienna, Wiener Schnitzel in one hand and Gluhwein (Mulled Wine) in T’other, foldaway ski’s on your back, singing  “The hills are alive….!! Here is a traditional Schnitzel dish for you, but with an Aussie twist! Macadamia nuts are native to here, but you could miss them out or use a ' local nut' that you know!! PORK SCHNITZEL MACADAMIA Ingredients (6 portions) 6 pork leg schnitzels 100g ground macadamia nuts 250g fresh breadcrumbs 2 tbs. flour, seasoned with salt & pepper 2 eggs, beaten 100ml olive oil 1 tbs. lemon juice 50g butter Lemon wedges Parsley sprigs ...

I must be on a roll (No, not a bread one!) or a rush as I also just discussed on my radio show, the next BIG A= Australia where I live...and believe me the word BIG does lend itself to this great island continent! And no not just big and deadly Spiders, Snakes and Sharks (and that odd Croc!), but a nation with a big heart as well as a big country. I have explored it from top to bottom and there is  nothing on Earth like it, from the Tropical Daintree Rain forest in Queensland to the Great Barrier Reef, to the ancient Aboriginal culture and the Red Center of the Outback to the very cosmopolitan cities of Sydney and Perth. Throw in some excellent wine and food and you got an excellent recipe for a 'Taste of the World' like no other! My recipe for the Aussie section is again on my website and one included in my book 'A Taste of the World'= 'The Great Australian BIGHT'. The last bit includes Shark and Crocodile in the recipe and NOT you on their menu! The Great...

Just about to finish the 'A''s in the A-Z of the world. Here is a 'trip' to Azerbaijan I did with my students in Perth. Like next doors Armenia, they love the kebab too, but also a very authentic fruit laded Rice Pilaff, flavoured with the incomparable Saffron. Also included are traditional BBQ'd seasonal veg.  Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter, melted 200g   pitted dried apricots   100g  pitted dates 100g raisins 300g  skinless, boneless chicken cut into 2-inch (5cm) cubes 1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half lengthways, then thinly sliced in half-circles 1/3 teaspoon ground   saffron ground black pepper   500g long-grain white Basmati rice   (you can also use long-grain American rice) 100g  dried or fresh plums, pitted salt I .2 Litre chicken stoc k Method 1.      Lightly brown the onions and chicken in the butter, then stir in the rice. 2.      Cut up the ...

ARMENIAN ‘Khorovats’ and Green Bean Bulgar Salad It's hard to visit Armenia without learning at least one word: khorovats. Difficult for many visitors to pronounce, but unavoidable and usually delicious. It is the word used in Armenia for barbecuing solid things - from meat to tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. The meat of choice in Armenia is pork, while lamb, beef, chicken and fish are often available as well. In the summer, it is almost routine to add tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and sometimes sliced potatoes to the BBQ. * Funny that because they are all ‘New World Vegatables? * Khorovats are not to be confused with kebab - which means minced (ground) meat. They are whole or solid chunks In   western Armenia   the word khorovats is not used, but kebab is applied to all meats put on skewers and barbecued, regardless of whether it is ground or whole. Kebab by western Armenians is much more likely to be marinated and or spiced. Bulgar wheat is quite popular in the m...

Over to ARGENTINA and just Barbecued these great Beef Ribs.... ARGENTINAN BBQ BEEF RIBS CHIMICHURRI Ingredient   STAGE 1: CHIMICHURRI   8 chopped cloves of garlic 1 tab of oregano 250ml Olive oil 60ml white wine vinegar ½ t-spoon ground chilli 1 level t-spoon salt Fresh ground pepper 30ml water Bunch Italian Parsley STAGE 2: 1 Kg Beef short Ribs Local sausages and Seasonal veg Oil S & P BBQ Hot! Method Blend all stage 1 ingredients into a ‘Pesto’ like puree. Marinate steaks and veg in oil and salt & pepper 5 minutes before Barbecuing. Serve with a spoonful of Chimichurri on top or to your taste and Argentinian Rice recipe. Asado Grill

Hello again to all me fellow Chef-Explorers! Latest news is I been exploring a recipe from Argentina on my 'Chef & Music Explorer Show' on local 'Radio Ellenbrook 88fm', getting back into my "Chef-Explorer Does Every Country in the World"  (A-z of the World! Sorry Zambia, its gonna be a few years!) so recipe will be posted on my website blog today. BUT First lets skip to the B's, in fact to Argentina's big rival (especially in Football!!) to BRAZIL, simply to watch the video I posted below set on a beach saving Dolphins..In todays crazy world it is nice to be inspired. Check this out. I will be back in an hour still Inspired but this time in Burma! Watch this space! http://elcomercio.pe/player/1384898 elcomercio.pe

Here is a photo of my students in their first kitchen class in Perth City, Western Australia.

The Chef -Explorer been busy teaching lately (see photo) and enjoying a break over Easter. I still have not eaten all my Easter Eggs-Honest! Meanwhile, back to THE A-Z of THE WORLD! To the island of Antigua & Barbuda for a 'Ducuna'. Try this Recipe. and if your a new 'Chef-Explorer' check the photos on Facebook. ANTIGUAN DUCUNA This recipe is traditional from the islands of Antigua & Barbuda, a dessert made with Sweet Potatoes. There is also ‘Duckanoo’ made with cornmeal and coconut which seems to be more Jamaican in origin. I have adapted this, including coconut in my recipe and cut down on the sugar content! I have also divided them into smaller portions to speed up the cooking process. Ingredients 2 medium sized sweet potatoes 150g brown sugar 50g sultanas or raisons 30g desiccated coconut 250g plain flour ½ level T-spoon allspice For Dusting Cinnamon Icing sugar Foil oil Method 1. Grate sweet potatoes (I got a...