Nothing from the Pacific - yummy Scotch buns

Does anyone remember humble beginnings of our blog? Me and Gosia, we were so much younger (but not as attractive as young mums can be). We both loved cooking. Gosia was fighting with her English language nightmare. I was crazy about breads, sourdough and kneading. I was crazy till last year. Then I was advised to go on a gluten-free diet. That was my kind of nightmare. Yes, I love plenty of other foods but I really missed the wheat and rye stuff. Now I can have a little rest from this restriction. I took out the best ever The Bread Book by Linda Collister. I've made the favourite buns of my husband and they were so perfect! So delicate, with this special smell of the yeast dough. Absolutely divine.

 

My dear breads, doughnuts and cookies, I have never betrayed you! Yours forever, Ilona.  

Taro, Colocasia esculenta - one of the staple foods of the Pacific

Today we explore one of the most important South Pacific crops - TARO.

 

Taro, Colocasia esculenta

Other names:

Fiji - dalo

Hawaii – kalo

Papua New Guinea – taro tru

Tonga – talo Tonga

Malaysia - keladi

Leaves: rourou or Hawaiian – lu’au

Relative plants:

Cocoyam – is a common name for taro and its relative tannia Xanhosoma.

Giant Swamp taro – Cyrtosperma chamissonis, popular in Tuvalu

Taro is one of the staple foods for the Pacific islands supplying their population with vitamins, minerals and carbohydrate energy. Its origins come probably from Southern or South-East Asia (India or Malay Peninsula). There are archeological evidences of taro cultivation in Papua New Guinea as far as 9000 years ago. PNG has also the world’s largest genetic diversity of taro. There are many varieties of taro ranging in colour from white, through pink to grey and purple. Some have dry flesh and others may have moist flesh. Taro has a significant cultural meaning. There is no feasting without taro, it is a precious gift and a prestige crop. In the ancient Hawaii it was believed that taro was the older brother of the first man and both were children of the god Wakea and the goddess Ho’ohuku-ka-lani. There was a tapu that in the Hawai’i only men could cultivate and prepare food from taro. Taro is used in traditional medicine and is featured on some South Pacific coins.  

Storing

Fresh roots will keep for several days. You can also seal them in plastic bag and keep for few months. Raw peeled taro may be frozen. Poe (cooked, pounded taro) and cooked dried taro are very lasting products. The latter was taken on sea voyages.

Use

Taro can be baked, steamed or boiled. Cooked or raw taro makes yummy chips. Cubes of cooked taro can accompany fish and coconut dishes. Cooked taro can be pounded  and worked until a smooth dough forms. This is actually called poe. Poe is a very lasting product. It may get fermented (in which form it is still appreciated) but it won’t spoil. Taro leaves are called rourou. Young leaves with green stems are used as a vegetable. They can be blanched and cooked in coconut cream and added to other foods. Taro flour can be obtained by slicing, drying and milling the corm. Peels and wastes are fed to domestic livestock.

Caution:

Taro contain irritating substance – oxalic acid. It is good to oil hands before working with taro. Otherwise use gloves. Neither corm nor leaves cannot be eaten raw. The level of acridity can vary considerably between different taro cultivars.

Value:

Fresh taro corm consists in two-thirds of water and up to 29% carbohydrate. The predominant carbohydrate is starch. The starch grains are small and easily digestible, good for allergic infants and those suffering with alimentary disorders. 7 % of dry weight is protein for the corm and 23 % for the leaves. Calories intake is about 107 calories for 100 g of taro. One cup of poi has 160 calories. 

Taro consists mainly of starch and less fat and proteins:

Carbohydrate: 13-29 % (of which 80 % is starch)

Protein: 1,4-3 %

Fat 0,16-0,36 %

Leaves have vitamins C, A, B2, calcium, phosporus and iron.

Stems contain vitamins C, B1, B3, B2, calcium, phosphorus and iron. 

Poe recipe:

Peel taro, wash and cut in medium cubes. Cover with cold water and boil until cooked. Remove water. Mash cooked taro until very smooth and elastic dough forms. You can add a little liquid (water, coconut milk) while working with taro. Eat ready poe or use for other recipes. 

Possible usage of poe:

*dilute with coconut milk to a desired consistency and eat like a porridge

*add more milk and coconut sugar for a nutricious drink

*bake bread with poe

*add an egg, onion, season and fry taro cakes

I love it!

 

Australian Bellvale wines in Warsaw

Be sure you won't miss this opportunity!


Atelier Amaro . Poland's First Michelin Star
Five Gourmet Moments with Chef Wojciech Amaro
Single Vineyard Bellvale Winery Degustation
Five Red Stars . James Halliday

Tuesday 22nd October . 9pm
PLN 300 per person . fully inclusive

Guest of honour
Australian Ambassador H. E. Jean Dunn

Special Presentation by John Ellis
Founder and Owner . Bellvale Winery

Join us in Warsaw for a Michelin starred gourmet night of premium Gippsland wines at the amazing Atelier Amaro. Five exceptional hand-made wines will be served with five "Gourmet Moments"; the event will be presented by Bellvale Winery Founder and Owner John Ellis, Chef Sommelier Pawel Bialecki and New World wine professional Bradley Mitton. This will be our first Michelin Star event and the first gourmet wine event to be held in a Michelin Restaurant in Poland, we are pioneers!

Bellvale Selection . Gippsland, Victoria
Bellvale Pinot Grigio 2012
Bellvale Chardonnay 2012 . Magnum
Bellvale Chardonnay 2007
Bellvale Pinot Noir 2009 . Magnum
Bellvale Pinot Noir 2008
Five Special Moments (surprise menu)
Special menu requirements catered for upon request

Reservations
Tickets will cost PLN 300 per person. This is subsidised by the organising partners (valued at PLN 650) and includes all wines, menu, coffee and water. Please book by replying here.

Bellvale Winery
The Bellvale wines are produced in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, an excellent micro-climate for the cultivation of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bellvale is currently rated with five red stars from James Halliday representing an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity - truly the best of the best.

Members and non-members alike may book for our events, which are always well attended; early reservations are recommended.

Polagra Food 23-26 września Poznań

Kolejna możliwość spotkania i zaopatrzenia się we własny, podpisany egzemplarz "Kuchni Nowej Zelandii" będzie w dniach 23 i 24 września na targach Polagra-Food w Poznaniu.

Zapraszam na stoisko Greencado - nowozelandzkiego oleju z awokado. Pawilon 6A, stoisko 58.

PACIFIC KAI - sklep z żywnością z Pacyfiku

Z radością informuję, że działa już PACIFIC KAI - internetowy sklep z żywnością z Pacyfiku.

Wszyscy tęskniący za ikonami australijskich czy nowozelandzkich kulinariów z pewnością znajdą coś dla siebie.

Już możecie tam znaleźć:

- miód z manuki, miód z rewarewa, miód z koniczyny, miód wielokwiatowy, olej z awokado - z Nowej Zelandii

- vegemite - słynna pasta drożdżowa - z Australii

- najlepszy na świecie olej kokosowy, bezglutenowa mąka kokosowa, cukier i syrop z palmy kokosowej - z Filipin

- świeży, przetarty miąższ z egzotycznych owoców - marakuja, feijoa, guanabana, tamarillo mango, lulo, guawa, jeżyna andyjska - z Kolumbii

- tapioka, idealna do deserów - z Tajlandii

- kawa - z Papui Nowej Gwinei

- przetwory z egzotycznych owoców - np. sok z feijoa czy dżem z guawy.

Do tego już pojawiły się pierwsze przepisy z wykorzystaniem egzotycznych składników. 

Zapraszam do korzystania i śledzenia strony, ponieważ to dopiero początek, i takich rarytasów z Pacyfiku będzie przybywać. Możecie też zgłaszać produkty, które Waszym zdaniem powinny się w tym sklepie znaleźć.

W sklepie można też zakupić moją "Kuchnię Nowej Zelandii".

Spotkanie autorskie - Warszawa

Najbliższe spotkanie autorskie

odbędzie się 20 sierpnia (wtorek) o godz. 19.00

w Klubokawiarni Podróżnik, ul. ks. Felińskiego 37, Warszawa. 


Więcej informacji tutaj.

1.Targi Książki Kulinarnej

Between 19th and 21st July the first Fairs of Culinary Books took place in Warsaw. The organiser was Qchnia Arystyczna, a recognised restaurant led by a charismatic restaurateur. Marta Gessler is known for her passionate and artistic approach towards cooking and floristry. 

The New Zealand's stand was there with my book and some of the best NZ's food products to try. There was also a chance to speak on sustainable NZ's winegrowing, agriculture and aquaculture. 

 

The arcaded galleries of Zamek Ujazdowski were home for a number of publishers and foodies.  

 

My stand featured NZ's produce also.
Green and golden kiwifruits.
Feijoa compote, juice, lemonade and jam.
Manuka honey, rewarewa, clover and wild flower honeys.
Avocado oil.

The announcement of my presentation on Sustainable New Zealand in Park Ujazdowski where the whole event took place.

With Marta Gessler, a moving force behind the event.

 Marta's culinary sculpture - "Try crispness" and her giant crisps.If you wished to try stickiness, there were giant pana cottas.

The courtyard of Zamek Ujazdowski is occupied by 'the Garden of Senses' where you can admire, touch and smell a variety of herbs and flowers set in boxes around deckchairs.

Being surrounded by cookbooks of all sorts, vegetarian, vegan, dietary, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, in Polish and in English, new and used it was simply irresistible! Luckily I have found something suitable for my interests and now I am preparing my first Philippine dish.  

Film report from this event is here. 

See you next year!

New Kid on the Block - shelal cheese

Quite often new exotic ingredients come into my kitchen. I would like to familiarize you with them. Probably some of you will have more ideas on their use - so feel free to share your ways. 

Today I present shelal - a cow's milk cheese from Syria made into form of strands. It is very salty so it would be a good idea to rinse it under cold water - but only for few seconds. If you leave the cheese in water, it will loose all its stiffness. This cheese is great for decorating salads and open sandwiches.

My canape: gluten-free bread, home made houmous, baby spinach leaves, slice of ham, shelal with nigella seeds, broccoli sprouts, New Zealand's Grove (Greencado) avocado oil.  

Another interesting ingredient: anardana powder - dried pomegranate seeds from India.

South African pears in Poland

Strange things you will find in your local store sometime. This South African pear is now 15 thousand km from home! 

Late July, cost of 7,85 PLN per kilo. 

Najbliższe spotkanie autorskie

19-21 lipca, godz. 10.00-20.00

1. Targi Książki Kulinarnej

zapraszają Qchnia Artystyczna, Marta Gessler i Zielony Jazdów

Sobota 20 lipca, godz. 18.45 - prezentacja nt. kuchni Nowej Zelandii

Info o wydarzeniu: strona Qchni Artystycznej.

Nowa Zelandia zawitała do Ujsół

Dzień Dziecka świętowaliśmy daleko od stolicy, w Ujsołach na Żywiecczyźnie, skąd pochodzę. W przepięknie odrestaurowanej organistówce odbyło się kolejne spotkanie autorskie promujące "Kuchnię Nowej Zelandii".

Publiczność dopisała mimo burzowej pogody. Właściwie mamy typową nowozelandzką zimę tego lata....

Z wójtem gminy Ujsoły, panem Tadeuszem Piętką, zaprezentowaliśmy gościom "Kuchnię Nowej Zelandii".

Później zaznajomiliśmy mieszkańców Ujsół z dalekim krajem na Antypodach.

 Nie obyło się bez tortu Pawłowej, który zrobił furorę.

 Mam nadzieję na więcej takich sympatycznych spotkań!

Pierwsze spotkanie z czytelnikami

I tak pierwsze spotkanie autorskie przeszło do historii! Wydarzenie zaszczyciły swoją obecnością panie Wendy Hinton, ambasador Nowej Zelandii w Polsce, oraz Beata Stoczyńska, ambasador Polski w Nowej Zelandii. Jak zwykle chciałam powiedzieć tak dużo, tyle pięknych wspomnień i smaków cisnęło mi się na usta, że trudno mi było zmieścić się w czasie. Bardzo ucieszyła mnie liczna frekwencja i Wasze miłe słowa. Mam nadzieję, że używacie mojej książki!

 

See you soon!

Kuchnia Nowej Zelandii - spotkanie autorskie 22 maja

22 maja 2013 r. o godz. 18.00 w Galerii Azjatyckiej Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku w Warszawie odbędzie się pierwsze spotkanie autorskie poświęcone Kuchni Nowej Zelandii.

Opowiem o moich nowozelandzkich doświadczeniach kulinarnych oraz o wyjątkowych nowozelandzkich produktach, które docierają nad Wisłę. Będzie mowa o winach, miodach, owocach morza, jagnięcinie, owocach i olejach z awokado. Będzie okazja do spróbowania kilku potraw. Wspomnimy także polski wkład w historię kraju na Antypodach.  

W spotkaniu udział wezmą Wendy Hinton, Ambasador Nowej Zelandii w Polsce oraz Beata Stoczyńska, Ambasador Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w Nowej Zelandii. 

Książkę, jak również wyśmienity nowozelandzki olej z awokado, będzie można nabyć w promocyjnych cenach.

Wstęp wolny. Patronem wydarzenia jest portal Nasza Nowa Zelandia.

Galeria Azjatycka, Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku, ul. Freta 5, Warszawa
22 maja (środa), godz. 18.00


 

PATRONAT Nasza Nowa Zelandia

Buy signed copy of Cuisine of New Zealand in Polish

You can order my first book Kuchnia Nowej Zelandii (Cuisine of New Zealand) in Polish language via this page. The book contains 90 recipes for favourite Kiwi dishes, with my photos and beautiful design by Agnieszka Kierat.

This is not only a cookbook but also a travel guide for culinary tourists. There is lots of stories on local attractions and history. You can cook with it but also read it with pleasure.

Every copy signed!

Price with postage within Poland: 65 PLN.
Price with economy postage abroad 100 PLN. 

In Warsaw you can pick up the book yourself.

Please place your order in comments (Post a comment), giving your email address to get the information how to pay. Your comment with address will not be published. It will be visible only for page administrator.