Nowozelandzkie kiwi

Shortly my first book on New Zealand’s cuisine will be published so I start a series of articles on New Zealand food in general and on that found in Poland in particular. The book will be in Polish so enjoy the Polish introduction to the topic. 

Jako że wkrótce ukaże się moja książka poświęcona kuchni nowozelandzkiej, zaczynamy cykl postów przybliżający kiwuską kulturę jedzenia i nowozelandzkie produkty dostępne w Polsce.

 

Zaczniemy od KIWI. Kiedyś ta sprytna roślinka nie cieszyła się zainteresowaniem nawet umiejących przyrządzić wszystko Chińczyków. Była jednym z wielu dzikich pnączy. Gdzieś na początku XX wieku dotarła do Nowej Zelandii, gdzie klimat do jej wzrostu okazał się bardzo sprzyjający. Dzięki charakterystycznej, włochatej skórce, owoc otrzymał nazwę właściwą dotąd endemicznemu ptakowi Nowej Zelandii, kiwi. W jezyku angielskim rozróżniamy owoc kiwi fruit i ptaka kiwi. Sami Nowozelandczycy również określają siebie Kiwis, po polsku: Kiwusi. 

Hodowcy nowozelandzcy z kolei umieli świetnie wypromować radosny, zielony owoc. W latach 60-tych stał się on symbolem i ulubioną dekoracją dań nouvelle cuisine, charakteryzującej się lekkimi daniami. Historia uprawy kiwi i eksportu nowozelandzkiego kiwi jest atrakcyjnym tematem prac naukowych z dziedziny handlu i marketingu. Sami na pewno zauważyliście, że nowozelandzkie kiwi w Polsce jest 3-4 razy droższe od kiwi z innych części świata. Po części odpowiadają za to koszty transportu, po drugie zaszłości z czasów, kiedy Nowa Zelandia była największym eksporterem kiwi, a po trzecie fakt, że jest to najsmaczniejsze kiwi na świecie. Żadne inne kiwi nie będzie miało tej słodyczy i aromatu, co kiwi z Nowej Zelandii. 

Do Polski trafiają owoce z nalepką firm ZESPRI lub ENZA™. Jeśli są to kiwi oznaczone “New Zealand” – to jest to (ZESPRI hoduje już na licencji kiwi we Włoszech – to nie to samo). Oprócz zielonych docierają do nas kiwi złote, z gładką skórką, żółtym miąższem i smakiem słodszym od tradycyjnego kiwi. Czasami znajdziemy kiwi giganta, ważącego do 150 g, albo kiwi jagody – dwucentrymetrowe, zielone owoce o gładkiej skórce. Nowozelandczycy przodują w pracach nad nowymi odmianami, smaczne jest między innymi kiwi czerwone. 

Kiwi zawiera 10 razy więcej witaminy C niż cytryna. Najwięcej jest jej pod skórką, która notabene jest jadalna. W czasie przeziębień zjadamy 1-2 kiwi dziennie. Dodatkowo mamy w nim wapń i glikozydy sprzyjające sercu. Kiwi najlepiej pasuje do narodowego deseru nowozelandzkiego, tortu Pawłowej.

Znaczący tort na 30. urodziny:-)

Sama roślina kiwi ma postać pnącza o rozmiarach około 5 metrów. Jest wykrzystywana jako roślina ozdobna. Wczesną wiosną wypuszcza wielkie, zielone liście, które dobrze się prezentują także jesienią. W Nowej Zelandii już koło listopada zawiązują się owoce, a od marca do czerwca trwają zbiory. Coraz popularniejsze są w Polsce sadzonki kiwi jagód, a są tacy, którzy już jedli własne owoce. W przeciwieństwie do odmian nowozelandzkich, dostępne w Europie odmiany odporne są na mrozy (do pewnego stopnia...). Moje trzy sadzonki kiwi przetrzymały pierwszą zimę i z początkiem marca rozwinęły pierwsze liście.  

      

Więcej informacji o naturze nowozelandzkiego owocu kiwi oraz oczywiście przepis na Pawłową już wkrótce!

Zobacz także: 

Bogactwo kiwiowych odmian.

Świetna strona z wieloma odmianami kiwi. 

TED New Zealand & Kiwifruit case study. 

Nowozelandzka encyklopedia o historii kiwi w Nowej Zelandii.

Dine at Peter Gordon's

London always means good memories to me and this time was no exception. This January visit to UK was my shortest ever but the most memorable so far. I got up from a bus at Baker Street where I worked in the past. The vicinity has changed a bit. I realised that when I stopped by a new Gourmet Burger Restaurant. The brand busted from 27 premises when I was working there to over 50 today including those in Greece, Ireland and the Middle East. Of course there was no way to resist. The meat has changed over the years from Aberdeen to West
  
Country Beef and the sesame bun has changed a bit but the general taste impression was nearly the same. Their gourmet sauces still are my favourite. While in London you need to try a GBK burger. Than I checked my old time favourite spots, Daunt Books on 83 Marylebone High Street and Fromagerie on 2-6 Moxon Street. An hour later I was gazing at red gournard and Saint Jacques at FishWorks shopping window at 89 Marylebone High St. And finally I got to The Providores and Tapa Room at 109 number of the same street, my main destination. 

 

Believe or not, but the owners Peter Gordon and Michael McGrath were just sitting by the table busy with the papers. Luckily the co-owner and the executive chef Peter Gordon (yes, the fusion cuisine’s father) had enough time to chat about his work and the second restaurant, Kopapa on 32-34 Monmouth Street in Covent Garden. I was given his latest book, Everyday which is great because I have already eaten all of the dishes from his A World in My Kitchen :-). Despite being so busy Peter is writing a foreword for my New Zealand’s cookbook that will be printed out in March. Next time  you will be holding my book, Sir!

 

Yumm, yumm, yumm, couldn’t I leave without tasting? No. Waiting for my dish I was admiring the space of the Tapa Room which is on ground floor and serves smaller dishes. The name comes from a Polynesian cloth made of block printed and hand beaten paper mulberry bark. A huge piece of that hangs on the wall and make you feel eating with the ancestors’ spirits. The upstairs more formal dining room is called The Providores and serves equally delicious, perfectly designed dishes. 

Helping myself with the menu I knew what I was served. The description shows Peter Gordon’s distinctive style combining products from all over the world. I have tried the kohlrabi and onion bhaji with plantain and date salsa, sumac yoghurt and pomegranate mint sauce. The small work of art, resembling a fried pyramid was surprisingly chewy and chrispy at the same time. I was particularly interested in the use of sumac which is completly unknown in Poland and I had huge problems how to use it when I brough it from Bosnia 3 years ago. The spice proved to be much more aromatic here! I loved the date salsa. Did you know that there are green dates edible?

What can a pastry lover say… that the dessert was superb. The poached quince, broken with vanilla pod, perfectly combines with ginger creme brulee. And the mountain range shaped pistaccio and orange ricciarelli biscuit heats the atmosphere. I was overwhelmed. You could only take a New Zealand’s style coffe – a flat white with it.

Then I stock myself with New Zealand’s and Australian foods from the Australian Shop at 27 Maiden Lane and drunk my favourite L&P. I envy the British that they have Waitrose shops supplied with, watch out, fresh New Zealand’s lamb livers and kidneys (6 GBP/kg) and fresh New Zealand’s clams (11 GBP/kg)! Today I am celebrating the Australia Day with Arnott’sTimTams.
  
I dream that all this stuff will be available one day in Poland. You and me we need to create the demand. Ask frequently and keep asking various greengrocers about New Zealand’s kiwifruit, papaya, guanabana, feijoa. Keep asking for New Zealand’s cheddar at the grocer. It is possible to get it. Today I got the phone call from my African grocer. He got the fresh breadfruit for me. This is the first time I am not importing it from Berlin for a fine restaurant but I will buy it for myself in a regular, small shop. He have it more. Go for a breadfruit on Monday, 27 General Anders St, Warsaw.

Best greetings to Lorraine, Peter, Michael and all the staff at the Tapa Room and many thanks for making my stay so enjoyable and tasty.

SHOM Charity Fair 2012

Yes, yes, we all live well and are quite busy. What are we doing? Cooking, feeding, baking, eating, boiling, consuming, having photos and having fun!  Yum, yum, yum! Many of you already know my ANZAC biscuits. In print soon. Keep awaited!

World Bread Day

Walking down Nowy Swiat Street in Warsaw I met a small stand in front of one of the bakeries. Smiling young people were serving pieces of their breads with pesto, tapenade and mushroom paste. All was arranged around one-meter tall bread Eiffel tower! Do you remember the bread Eiffel Tower in Peter Mayle's  Confessions of a French Baker? The Warsaw bread tower was also impressing. Congratulations, guys!

I have no time for baking now so I celebrate the World Bread Day with memories from the fantastic food festval in Gruczno, Poland. The Food Festival in Gruczno takes place from 2006. Planning your trip to Poland make sure you won't miss this event in August.

Handmade simple bread in historic style

Gruczno festival on fb.

Official Gruczno Festival site.

Polish pickled cucumbers - kiszone ogórki

Never mind how busy you are in late summer - even a headchef must find time for pickling cucumbers! These are one of our favourites served as vegetable especially with roast beef or on canapes with pork lard - smalec. We pickle cucumbers in two ways. One, the most distinctive, is often referred to result in "spoiled' cucumbers that are sour because of the natural process. The vegetable becomes dark green and the water is mudding. They are also called salted cucumbers.The second pickling method is done thanks to vinegar - these cucumbers have transparent water and are brighter. The Polish usually are devoted to one favourite taste. I love pickled cucumbers with vinegar but my husband like naturally fermented cucumbers. So these are for him. All the fifty jars. 

I use the recipe of my father, and his mother - my grandmother. I have found the same recipe in the oldest cookbook at my family home (the book that I already took over, secretly). The important thing is that cucumbers shall have no stains or scars. Choose the smallest as they will fit into the jar. They shall be pickled no more than 2-3 days after harvesting. It is always good to keep them in cold water over the night and then pickle. I found the soaking crucial if you don't want your cucumbers to be really spoiled. The old cookbook says that the good time for pickling is from the new moon up to the full moon.

Ogórki kiszone  - pickled cucumbers

1 l water

1 Tbsp salt

1 kg small cucumbers

4-6 pepper grains

4-6 allspice grains

4 bay leaves

leaves of: vine, oak, blackcurrant, sour cherry

mature dill twig (it is big and stiff)

white horseradish root - 2 fingers size

4 garlic cloves

1.Soak small cucumbers overnight in cold water.

2. Boil the water with salt. Cool down completely.

3. Place in two 1-litre jars all the other ingredients. 

4. Fit in cucumbers all around the edges and inside the jar. 

5. Cover completely with salted water. Twist the jar really well. 

 

6. Leave in a cold dark place. Watch for few days if no liquid comes out of the jar. If so - place a jar in a fridge, give it a week and then eat. Ballooned top of the jar is ok.

Anardana and aniseed bread

Oh Lord, grant us enough time to bake and share the recipes! Baking was done, so here is the recipe, only one of so many others done in Warsaw over the last year. The inspiration came through an unusual Indian ingredient, Anardana powder, which is powder of dried pomegranate seeds.  This recipe is shared especially for Mrs Elzbieta and her husband – a professional home baker.

  

Anardana and aniseed bread

 

425 g wheat flour

150 g rye flour

100 corn flour

2 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp Anardana powder

1 tsp aniseed

¾ Tbsp salt

25 g yeast

500 water

1. Mix anardana powder, oil and yeasts with tepid water. Add to all the other ingredients.           

2. Knead the dough until homogeneous and elastic. Form an oblong loaf, cover with a wet cloth and forget for about 2 hours.

3. When the bread doubles the size, put to the hot oven (180°) and bake for about 45 minutes. Check for the hollow sound. Place for another 10 minutes in the oven if necessary. Cool down.

Enjoy the exotic Eastern flavour of this filling bread!