i’m not jewish, but i take comfort in a plate of freshly made matzoh brie now and then. i think anyone who has been facinated by new york (as am i) can also become facinated by jewish food, given the prominent influence of jewish cuisine in new york delis and bakeries.

as with most of my interests i went full hog with wanting to learn as much as possible. so a few years ago, when all i wanted to do was travel to new york for a real bagel, i started to hunt down various ingredients to make my own. along the way i also wanted to try real pickles, make a knish, matzoh ball soup and matzoh brie. one kind friend who i went to university with took me to her grandmother’s house so she could teach both of us how to make matzoh ball soup. i remember her joy knowing that not only did her grand daughter, but her grand daughter’s non-jewish friend also wanted in on her special recipes. while we were waiting for the chicken broth to simmer and the matzoh balls to set in the fridge, my friends grandmother made me a plate of matzoh brie to keep out hunger pangs at bay. its simple flavour and comfort had me wrapped up with the first bite.
yesterday morning, after waking up feeling a rather groggy i needed that plate of comfort yet again. i had the main ingredient of matzoh sitting quietly in the cupboard ready for a good morning wake up call. matzoh i’ve learned is an unlevend cardboard like bread which is eaten by those observing the jewish passover tradition. matzoh brie reminds me of a simple version of french toast, and i must say i enjoy it just as much because of its savoury or sweet options. here is my recipe which comes from a long ago newspaper clipping, and one which ceases to become a recipe due to its simplicity.

even though there are two schools of preference (savoury or sweet) i enjoy both equally. if i do opt for a savoury only version, i then grate half of a small white onion into the mixture before frying. as you may well know, the flavour of caramelised onion is just heaven. if its sweet, a good conserve is your best friend. yesterday i popped open a bottle of cloudberry jam, which i think will be on permanent rotation with this dish for a long time. i enjoy matzoh brie when its more than golden and very crispy and while others prefer it quite soft and eggy. its just one of those things which you should try and decide for yourself.

my version of matzoh brie
serves 2

2 sheets of matzoh
1 egg
salt flakes
1 - 2 tablespoon of butter for frying
under hot running water, wet the matzoh so the sheets are soft, but not soggy. break into bite sized pieces and drain in a colander

beat the egg and add salt to taste. if you are making a sweet only version, add a tiny bit of sugar and cinnamon at this stage. or if you are taking the savoury only route, add half a grated white onion)

heat butter in a large frying pan, until melted. add the soaked matzoh to the egg mixture and mix until evenly coated. pour the matzoh on to the pan, and spread out until flat like a pancake and evenly leveled. allow the matzoh to brown to your liking. if you can turn the whole matzoh like pancake in one turn - hurrah. otherwise, no matter the broken pieces are just as much fun to handle.

serve with your choice of accompaniment; sour cream, fruit conserves and jams, cinnamon sugar or salt flakes. enjoy!

they look pretty ugly don’t they? as i said to the boy as i took them out of the oven “don’t let first appearances fool you, these are going to be good!” and they were. sticky, sweet, soft and very very agreeable with a cup of strong coffee.

i wanted to make a batch of sticky buns the moment i saw them on santos’ flickr page and blog. they look so comforting don’t they? maybe its the swirls which make me feel so cosy when i see them, or maybe its the cinnamon. either way, give these a go during the weekend. just make sure you have a few people to share them with or be ready for a sugar coma!

i haven’t a proper cinnamon bun since i was in canada in 2004. the pastry chain cinnabon always lured my travel buddies and i, even with the weight of a backpack we would trundle up to a storefront at a train station to grab a hot bun. cinnamon is a popular spice in north america, or at least it was when i was there. it may have had to do with it being fall and also thanksgiving, but i couldn’t get enough of the stuff.

there is a proliferation of various recipes for sticky buns online. in the end i opted with this recipe promising cinnamon heaven in 90 minutes. the time factor jumped out at me, seeing as i was planning this for a morning treat on my day off from work. i would also like to try bread guru peter reinhart’s sticky bun version too. it might have to be in a couple of months because all this sugar has my head spinning, but then again i want to perfect my rolling method for a preetier version next time around. ok, any reason really ;)
cinnamon buns
adapted from cdkitchen
makes 12 buns

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole fat milk
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

set aside 1 cup all purpose flour from total amount. combine remaining flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in large bowl.

on a low heat warm the milk and add butter, stir until melted. add water and mix until well combined. pour hot milk mixture onto the dry ingredients, mix just a little before adding the beaten egg. mix in enough reserved flour* to make a soft dough, so that it does not stick to the bowl. turn out onto floured board and knead 5 -10 minutes. cover dough and let rest 10 minutes. the dough should be soft as a pillow.
for the filling; mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together. try not to eat it.

roll dough into 12 x 9 inch rectangle. Spread with cinnamon mixture. you could also sprinkle with some roughly chopped hazelnuts or almonds at this stage. roll from long side, pin-wheel style; pinch to seal the seam.

slice into 12 equal slices with a sharp knife. place cut side up into large greased muffin cups or cake tray with bun pieces touching. it will be fun to pull the buns apart once they are baked. place on baking sheet over a shallow pan half-filled with boiling water. cover dough and let rise 20 mins.

bake at 170C for 20 mins or until browned. you could make a cream cheese glaze, however i quite enjoyed them straight from the oven. serve warm with coffee. enjoy!
*i had to add more flour to the original quantities, which i have reflected above, so if you do try this version please let me know if you use more flour than what is listed above.

one can’t fault the burger giants for being ignorant of the anti fast food establishment. last time a film came out, which put the spot light on the clever tricks used by the fast food industry to make people eat and become addicted to processed and high in fat foods, fast food corporations were only able to respond with damage control. a response which required an appearance by their ceo on television advertisements. now, a month before the film fast food nation is due to be released in australia, mc donalds australia has started a new advertising campaign.

the ads show young mc donalds employees in their uniforms who are sick of the flack they cop from their friends about the real contents of the beef in the patties used for burgers or frisbees in the kitchens of mc donalds. they set out to find the real answers and how do they solve this age old dilema? why, they drive out to the meat processing factory, set on a sunny hill somewhere in the country. we know this because before they meet the factory workers all decked out in sterile white, we get a montage of clear pastures, happy coutry folk giving them directions and and a general feeling of niceness. once our loyal emplyees reach the factory, they ask the factory employees the hard hitting questions: “which part of the cow is used?” we are told that there is only 100% beef in those patties, with the help of a diagram of a cow. if only everyone could walk around with a pointing stick and a diagram, the world would be so much more simpler no?

seeing as the book, and now film tries to look at the fast food industry through the eyes of workers in the fast food and meat industry, the ads just serve to highlight the beast people like morgan spurlock and eric schlosser are up against.

aaah, what a weird month it has been. weird in the sense that it was cold and rainy then springy and now summery. makes for confused wardrobe changes and major fluctuations in this girl’s energy levels. sometimes all i want to do is sleep and not think about food or eating. see how that could be weird?

here are a few things i’ve enjoyed and maybe quietly coveting for upcoming birthday presents to self? what can i say i like to plan well ahead. ;)

enjoying:

santos’s photography tips.

having less email spam in my inbox.

all the wonders of cake in this month’s foodography theme

one guy’s quest to eat from the mini bar and never get caught.

coveting:

fruit tree display and storage, because i’m sick of throwing fruit away.

soda 5 piece juicing set, because i’ve ignored my electric juicer from the moment i brought it home four years ago.

diner scene plates, just because i love new plates!

janaer glas tea glassware, for those pretty teas which should be seen and not hidden behind ceramic.

when i lived in a house with a back yard and space for a vegie patch i didn’t have the time to spend gardening, so of course as these things go, now that i’m living in an apartment on the second floor my green thumb has sprouted and now i’d like to make time for such things. alas, its not in my nature to let a few things like a smaller dwelling stop me from trying growing a green thumb and maybe a few herbs along the way.

last weekend i spent some time at the local nursery to get this project in order. i needed the buy some seedlings, potting mix, a watering can, and a herb pot. i also needed something to plant a strawberry plant i had purchased a few weekends ago and i needed to get it right then and there if i ever wanted to see the leaves grow into a patch and (fingers crossed) a few gauntlet strawbs appear from those flowers.

i ended up with herbs which everyone in this two person house-hold would be happy with; even the nay-sayer who thinks this will be a failed project due to my poor memory and bad organisational skills first thing in the morning. herbs which everyone loves and uses is bound to create a few happy participants no?

so with a few seedlings of coriander and a triplet of basil (italian, thai and curly) i was onto a good thing. the boy’s mum gave me a mint plant and a mixture of organic herb food to get me started. however i didn’t get very far, as i still needed a pot; something which could hold everything, and maybe a temporary place for the strawberry plant. the fellow at the nursery saw me tugging at a few planter boxes and suggested the pot you see above; a terracotta creation with little windows for various plants to sprout from. the pot would allow me move it around the balcony, especially an eastern facing spot which has a harsh sun during some parts of the day, and also bring the garden into the kitchen on those crazy windy days sydney has been experiencing recently. perfect and quite cute wouldn’t you say?

with a little help from the boy’s mum, i had the pot half filled with vegetable potting mix and i transferred the seedlings over (after gently squeezing the roots a tad to release them from the soil in their original containers). after packing them in tightly and adding a smaller layer of potting mix i gave my new mini garden a good watering and hoped for the best. a week later they are still alive, and even after pinching a few of the new leaves of the basil plant, it seems to have given it a little growth spurt. hurrah!

next weekend i plan on getting the second herb garden sorted with sturdier plants of parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano and maybe try my hand at a citrus tree or curry leaf tree.