Japanese potato salad

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Oh Japan. There was so much to you that I fell in love with.

Toilets that played music. Pedestrian crossings that played music. Gadgets that played music. Buses that told its passengers over the loudspeaker to not talk on the phone too loud in case it annoyed the other passengers. Incredibly sweet and kind Japanese EVERYWHERE. 

Even their fire hose covers in the street were cute.

Golden Hello Kitty idols in the street were cute.

Hello Kitties made of flowers in the street were cute.

Japanese girls on TV were cute.

Insanely gorgeous places to stay were insanely gorgeous.

Incredible English translation was awesome.

Please excuse my rather tipsy head there.

Their cute food was cute. They had Hello Kitty stamped on tiny sausages for kids. Just about everything had a face. I fell in love with edamame. I fell in love with the dainty portions, the prettiness of their food, the care with which it was all prepared.

And I fell in love with Japanese potato salad.

Every morning we would walk to the dining room of our ski hotel for breakfast. You never knew what you were going to get - one day it was some kind of filled cabbage leaf in some kind of broth, the next it would be tiny sausages, a stalk of broccoli, an ice-cream scoop of potato salad and three carefully-placed dots of ketchup. 

I kindly offered my sausages in exchange for extra portions of potato salad. I'm caring like that.

Recently Veggie Dad scored a win when he bought me Adam Liaw's cookbook - you know that incredibly talented and adorable, green-jumper-wearing, samurai teddy bear that won Masterchef? Yeah that guy. And in his cookbook, he gives a recipe for Japanese potato salad. 

私の名前はStaceyである。 私はポテトサラダを好む。

Ingredients:

4 large floury potatoes

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 small lebanese cucumber

1 small white or brown onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small carrot

1 egg, at room temperature

1 cup kewpie mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Boil in salted water 15 minutes until quite tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pan. Stir regularly over very low heat 2-3 minutes to dry the potatoes without burning.

2. Transfer the potatoes to a deep bowl and season with a little salt and white pepper. Using a wooden spoon, crush the potatoes against the bowl to make a rough mash. Whip the potatoes vigorously with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until fluffy. Leave to cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, peel the cucumber, leaving on a little peel for colour and texture. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Slice very thinly into half-moons. Combine the cucumber and onion and toss with a little salt. Put in a colander and leave to drain for 15minutes. Rinse off the salt under running water and dry on paper towel.

4. Peel the carrot and thinly slice into half-moons. Boil in salted water 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside on paper towel to cool.

5. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add the egg and boil 8 minutes, then transfer egg to iced water to stop the cooking process. When the egg is cool, peel and roughly chop.

6. Add the mayonnaise, carrot, cucumber and onion to the potato and whip vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in the egg. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The things I didn't know I wouldn't know.

Miss Veggie Baby has been sick this week. Snotty, dribbly, incredibly out of sorts and not sleeping.

Two nights ago she screamed inconsolably for ages, which is incredibly out of character for her, and I found myself wondering... is it something I did?

And I realised this has been quite a running theme throughout the last six months... is her behaviour from something I've done? Something I haven't done? Are the choices I've made the right ones? Why is she crying like that? Why hasn't she pooped today? Does she hate my cooking? What if?

Given that they can't tell you what is wrong, one is reduced to insane guesswork, leaping further and further into assumptions and musings and plain old guilt.

Was she crying because she was teething? She was immunised the day before, could that have been it? Was she reacting to the eggplant puree she'd had for dinner for the first time? Did her stomach hurt? Was she tired? Was she hungry? Would going for a walk in the fresh air help? Was it because I ate that English mustard when I was 8 months pregnant with her?

Did I put enough sunscreen on her? Is the water too cold for her feet? Should we sit more in the shade? Is it ok if she eats the sand?

That thing hasn't been sterilised, should she put it in her mouth?

Should I really let the cat sleep with her? They love each other so much and he has never hurt her. He just curls up at her feet. They need to co-exist in the same house, should I let them be friends right from the start? Should I lock him in the other room?

Should she be eating a rusk and lying down? She seems to like it. Should she even be eating a rusk at this age? Did I start solids too early? Should I really be buying her pink things? Is she watching too much TV? Should I not have turned the TV on until she was two?

It's been strange for me, as I love researching and I love knowing and I love being in control. I love knowing what to expect, and what to do when it happens. Nobody ever told me I'd spend the rest of my highly-educated life staring at a crying baby and knowing nothing concrete, just going with my gut.

But what if my gut is wrong?

Augh!



BB Cream by Garnier

When I hear of a company that strives to make its impact on the environment a more conscious one, I'm impressed. I love that they're willing to make changes to their traditional ways of doing things in favour of more enlightened ways. As Oprah says, when you know better, you do better!

I was recently sent Garnier's newest product to try (and give away to you guys, stay tuned!) and despite the description of it being "miracle!", "skin perfector!" and "all-in-one solution!", I was struck more by the sincere effort to which Garnier has gone in order to bring about products that use renewable, raw materials and that aren't tested on animals. They recycle 91% of their waste and have a ton of tips on how you can recycle yours.

They even wanted me to recycle the "with compliments" slip on the front of the box. I like this - it was prettier to leave it off, but they made it big and bold. 

 So I was wary of the BB (Blemish Balm) Perfector cream... I have freckles thanks to a lifetime in the Queensland sun (and genetics, yay), and uneven skin tone, what with pregnancy and a love of sunscreen, which makes my face white and the rest of my body olive. White with freckles. Sigh.

Given that it says "one product to correct, protect and unify skin complexion with instant and lasting results", I just didn't think it would work, as "natural coverage" and "lightweight and breatheable formula"s usually lead people to ask if I'm sick, or telling me I look tired.

However.

It is more than just a tinted moisturiser, with its mineral pigments creating more coverage. I'm told it can also be a base for regular foundation, etc, but as a new mama I'm kind of looking more for something that I can throw on and it will do about five things at once.

Miracle skin perfector is supposed to :

1 - Hydrate for 24 hours - I definitely felt soft and non-dry. Bonus.

2 -  Even skin tone - I found that rubbing it on like a moisturiser and then going over my trouble spots with it like a concealer actually made a difference. I used the darker one over my cheeks like blush for a little glow and it added extra coverage. I actually would have left the house looking like that and all I had on was moisturiser! I honestly was surprised.

3 - Correct blemishes - luckily I don't have any.

4 - Boost healthy glow - I did feel hydrated and a little tanned, and I like the dewy effect it has on my skin. Normally this wigs me out, as I look shiny, but this didn't have that effect.

5 - SPF 15 protection - I think this should be in all makeup.

So here is my big mug with the cream applied how I described above. Nothing else. I actually don't mind it... I hate wearing a ton of makeup that makes me look awful close-up, but I can't stand leaving the house au naturel.

You do have to wash your hands after using, unlike regular tinted moisturisers, as the pigment is more foundation-like, but I found that to be something I was willing to live with seeing as I had way more time on my hands (ahem) using only the one product.

Now for the fun part... Thanks to the kind folks at Garnier, I've got 10 (yes, 10) packs of both the dark and the light creams to give away. 


Just leave a comment and tell me - what would you do with the extra time you have on your hands with your morning face routine shortened?


Entries close September 30 at 10am. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email.


Open to Australian postal addresses only, sorry :(

If you miss out on my giveaway, you can buy the cream for $13.99 at Priceline and supermarkets.
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Mock Whitefish and Tried Favourites Cookery Book - Vintage Lane

This is one of my most treasured cookery books in my vintage collection. Given to me by a friend's grandma many years ago, it sparked my interest in collecting such books. There are tons of recipes that are easy to make and I truly love the funny little pieces of advice they found it so important to impart. These people think whisky will cure anything - I can deal with that kind of advice!

I was told that this was a wedding present received just before the owner moved to Australia to start her new life. She said she had no idea about cooking and homemaking, and this book was invaluable to her. I love how they could just write "Barnfoot House, Inverness" and post would reach them. Adorable.

A typical ad found within its pages. Never before have I heard of Ovaltine being the go-to remedy for digestive upsets. I thought it was just a drink you had before bedtime, or little candy pieces you had in your pocket and tried to eat surreptitiously in class.

The need for good, nourishing food, well cooked and tastefully served is the need of all ages. Amen!

A typical index page. There are many - this little teeny book is packed with hundreds of economical recipes.

A special extra found tucked away inside!

There is a whole vegetarian section with things like mock chicken cutlets, mock fish and various other things. I think it's fascinating, as not many people were into vegetarianism at this time. Mutton ruled and stuff was made from bits of pig that honestly should never be eaten. But vegetarian hare soup? Sounds crazy. If only I was brave enough to try it.

I'm not sure Bovril could make anything more delicious...

So much randomness.

A typical chapter title page.

Ok. Read the title. Then read the italics underneath. Please explain.

Improved out of all proportion. All proportion, people! That's a big call.

Have at it, kid. I'm not licking anything that's contained Creamola.

Om nom NOT.

Beef tea never fails to freak me out. You pretty much sit beef in lukewarm water and give that to the poor sod that's ill. Invalid cookery is usually terrifying.

Please lord, make me never ill.

Would this help you after a long day at the office?

EVEN FOR HEART FAILURE. It's not even real whisky and it will bring you back from the dead.

No water + cold baths + lettuce diet = one sad person with some poundage to lose.

DO NOT give your children tomato or for goodness' sake - or HOT buttered toast. Cold is fine. No summer city fruit. No pastries of every description. Sad life for kiddies.

So.... wanna make out?

A good and a bad way of drinking milk? Who knew? And I am woefully ignorant of the whole eat bread every time you drink milk thing.

What would be worse - being a child or being an "old person"? Either way you're eating cardboard.

The book has a ton of other stuff... miscellaneous kitchen tips (to sweeten rancid butter!), knitting notes, laundry work (washing lace and silk handkerchiefs!), how to make a barometer out of a cup of coffee and a lump of sugar (so MacGyver), and to drink vinegar and hold your arms over your head if you have hiccups.

Seriously, I need to make a run of several posts. This stuff is gold!

As for the recipe, I decided I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make something vegetarian. I guess it was the thing to do when war took all the good food and you were making stuff out of powdered egg. Mock whitefish sounded like the last thing I'd ever make normally, so I couldn't resist! And I actually quite liked it. I would cut it into strips next time though, and make it fish-finger (fishstick) style for Veggie Baby. It was very mild and crispy on the outside. I love finding cool old recipes and seeing that they still work!

Ingredients:
1/2 pint milk, 2 oz rice flour, butter, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, 3 potatoes, egg

Method:
Bring to boil 1/2 pint milk and thicken with ground rice, to make a little stiffer than for rice mould (I've no idea how stiff that is meant to be, as I've never made a rice mould, but it stiffens up by itself to a reasonable thickness). Add a lump of butter, salt, a little grated onion and cook all together for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Boil 3 potatoes and put through masher, and while hot add to rice, or it will not set well. Pour into a dish to stiffen, and when quite cold, cut into slices, roll in egg and breadcrumbs, fry and serve with parsley sauce as a fish course. The mixture must be thick, as the frying softens the rice.

Dare me to make the vegetarian hare soup?

Sweetcorn risotto with haloumi

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Recently I scored some juicy sweetcorn from the markets, and I was looking for a different way to eat it than my usual steamed, or this insane corn chowder I usually make.

Corn is right up there as one of my favourite veggies - just after pumpkin and just above artichoke. Veggie Dad doesn't get overly excited when served with a giant cob on his plate, but I've been known to just stick a fork in one end and snack away. The stuff is good.

Anyway, this summer I'm going to play around with more corn salads, salsas, fritters and succotash, but tonight, as my toes freeze from our still-cold spring nights, I'm dreaming of this silky risotto. It's full of flavour, sweet from the corn and salty from the haloumi... which you don't need to add, but would be silly not to!

Ingredients:
1 litre corn stock - I simmered four cobs of corn, kernels removed, in hot water for a couple of hours. I was aiming for about a litre.
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
sea salt and cracked black pepper
400g risotto rice
100ml white wine
the kernels from two large cobs of corn
1/2 a block of haloumi, diced
butter, to taste
a handful of parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it on a simmer.

2. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook gently about three minutes. Add garlic and cook another two minutes.

3. When the onion has softened, add the rice. Turn up the heat, and don't leave the pan alone.

4. While slowly stirring, fry the rice. After two or three minutes, add the wine and listen to it hiss :)

5. Pour yourself a glass - there's so much stirring you ain't going anywhere.

5. Once the wine seems to have been absorbed, add a ladle of hot stock, and turn down the heat. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock once they are absorbed.  Don't rush this, or the centre of the rice granules will be hard and gross. Not a good look, particularly if you're trying to impress the in-laws.

6. After 15-20 minutes, check the rice. You want it soft and creamy. Check the seasoning. 

7. Add the corn and cook just to heat through. When cooked to your liking, take the pan off the heat and add the butter and parmesan.

7. You want it oozing in the bowl or plate, so make sure you've added enough stock. Under no circumstances is it to be stiff or gluggy. ugh!

8. Fry your haloumi cubes over a very high heat until golden on all sides.

9. Serve risotto with haloumi and sliced spring onion on top. 

Would you like less guilt with that chocolate?

Don't we all?

I never used to care for chocolate. Or anything sweet, really. Then I became pregnant, and all of a sudden I was nosing through the cupboard at night wanting a little something sweet after dinner. And when mid-morning hit, when I'd normally have a bagel or some toast, I was all about the Pop-Tarts and Tim Tams. Who had I become?

Someone who got excited at easter, for the first time since about 1992, that's who.

And even though I've been using my entire body's resources to feed a small and seemingly-constantly-hungry child, and have every right to eat extra calories without fear or favour, I still felt guilty when a block of chocolate was nothing but scraps of tin foil and torn packaging only two days after I bought it. Chocolate's not healthy, I thought. I should be eating a handful of nuts and an apple, and instead I'm eyeing off the M&Ms.

Then I was told about Table of Plenty's Mini Rice Cakes and the European chocolate that could be entering my mouth and leaving the guilt at the door. Wholegrain rice cakes and European chocolate sound like awkward dinner companions, but I'm happy to say it works. They sent me some to try, and 15 calories a cake meant I could eat a bag (and I totally did) and feel like I got a dose of healthy with that chocolate. A dose of gluten-free healthy. And a dose of gluten and lactose AND fructose free healthy with the dark chocolate variety. Win!

If chocolate's not for you, they also come in Triple Berry - a pure cocoa butter berry yoghurt coating. I wasn't quite as sold on those, but I think that's entirely because I don't like berry-flavoured things. I have a weird dream I once had featuring strawberry-flavoured YoGos to thank for that.

I really love the idea behind Table of Plenty - bringing "products with life, education, innovation and style that stand out from the ordinary" to supermarkets. These products use healthy ingredients, and are quick and easy. They even give back by supporting organisations for children and people with disabilities, and via the creator, Kate Weiss, work to bring education and tools for self-development to women and girls worldwide.
You can read more about Kate's story and how she founded Table of Plenty after her own child was diagnosed with a disability here.


Food with a heart! I love it.

They're $3.99 a pack at Coles, but I have three lots of all three flavours to give away... just leave a comment telling me what your favourite pregnancy snack was (and if you're a dude, then just go ahead and tell me what your favourite snack is!) and I'll get random.org to find three lucky recipients.

And if your favourite snack was a strawberry flavoured YoGo, then we can't be friends.... ;)


Giveaway closes Monday September 19 at 10am xx


Congratulations to Amanda Elizabeth, Becci Swan and Queensland Girl. Look out for your email!

Brie and Cranberry Rolls

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Mmmmm cheesy....

These things seriously could not be simpler.  Bake-at-home dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, sliced Brie.

The end. See you next post!





Ok maybe not. But they are super-simple. I just bake the rolls and fill them, then pop them back in to the turned-off oven to melt juuuust a little. They're great for lunch with a salad, but are also a really cool alternative to the usual tea party/baby shower/any kind of party fare. I've not seen anyone do it before so I'm totally claiming it.

Crunchy, sweet, a little savoury and gooey. If there's a better canape combination, I don't want to know about it.

Enjoy!