KOFI BEANS AND HARIRA SOUP AT CROYDON

Yesterday, was Dentist Day and I was in Croydon. It is becoming something of habit to pop into Kofi Beans after my appointment to recover from all that drilling and poking before setting off full of (well not really - much diminished) anaesthetic to drive home.

Kofi's signage is not well seen from a distance.  If you come down Mount Dandenong Road and turn left into Main Street and look for the better signed Red Cargo, you will find  Kofi's next door on the northern side.

You will see Kofi's footpath dining area.

The weather has not been conducive to outdoor dining lately

and, while yesterday was sunny, it was still quite cold.

However, I haven't been in Kofi's during the lunching hours

when the indoors has not been packed. 

On the right as you walk in, there are comfy couches for curling up with friends and coffee.  Well, it wouldn't be Moroccan would it if there were not space and comfort for curling, reclining, slouching?  And then there are the homewares - stacks and stacks of Moroccan homewares.  Everything you can think of - almost - is there for the browsing and buying.

While coffee is the specialty of the house, I have to admit that I haven't got that far.  I get stuck on the hot chocolate.  Yesterday, I ordered orange and cinnamon.  It was a delight to warm the cockles of my heart and pour comfort into a body which had suffered the vicissitudes of the dentist, lovely though Andrew is.  The chocolate was so thick I am sure if I had put the teaspoon into it, it would have remained vertical.

 

Above is the menu board for the day, 

but the menu at Kofi's is quite extensive 

and has thoughtful menu markings 

for dairy, vegetarian, and gluten free.  

I ordered Harira Soup.  Find out more about this traditional Moroccan dish here.  There is a link to a recipe which includes meat - but Kofi's soup did not include meat and I think a really good rich vegetable stock would suffice well to provide a strong base for the chick peas, lentils, tomatoes, celery, and coriander.  The Harira was served with Phillippa's Bread which will always be my favourite.

The cake cabinet is a veritable assortment of culinary jewels.  But I have never ordered from there.  You see, atop the cake cabinet are trays of cholates - all sorts: champagne, caramel, lavender, tia maria and on and on.  I select three to take on my way.  And I leave well satisfied.

BTW, on Friday nights Kofi's opens their courtyard - covered and heated - for dinner.

VICHYSSOISE - WONDERFUL WARM OR COOL

It is cold, rainy, bleak here in Melbourne - as it has been so often in weeks past.  I have blessed myself with some vichyssoise and included recipe and picture.  Please note: the last word in the recipe says "Chill".  I haven't. Vichyssoise is beautiful warm too.  I didn't use chicken stock because I am vegetarian - and I didn't have any vegetable stock, so I did without.

A blogging friendship comes to lunch at The Trad Pad

Miss Eagle has never tried to get a decent self portrait.

Imperfect though this shot in the mirror is, Miss E thinks it is the best of the bunch.

Yester, Val came to lunch at The Trad Pad. It was a wonderful time of conversation, handmade books, and food.

The food was simple but appropriate for a chilly, welcome-rainy day. The slow cooker has come out of the bottom cupboard this week as the weather has achieved a certain bite to the breeze and, officially, winter has arrived to-day. It was pressed into service for the first course. On the menu was a thick vegetable broth and, to satisfy the sweet tooth, Polenta Orage Syrup Cake served with cream. The vegetable (with everything in it) broth came complete with the kluskies from Vicious Ange's Kluski Soup. The cake came from Billington's site. POLENTA ORANGE SYRUP CAKE

Ingredients - Cake

• 3 eggs
• 110g/4oz Caster sugar
• 110g/4oz butter - melted and cooled
• Juice of half an orange
• 225g/8oz polenta
• 1 dessertspoon baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Ingredients - Syrup

• 2 oranges
• Juice of half a lemon
• 140g/5oz Caster sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius/325 degrees fahrenheit.
• Line a 20cm/8inch round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and mousse-like.
• Beat in the melted and cooled butter and orange juice.
• Add polenta and baking powder, followed by the orange zest, salt and vanilla, beating well.
• Pour into prepared tin.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.
• Test with a skewer. Skewer should come out clean if the cake is done.

While the cake is cooking make the syrup: put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved completely. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes.

• Remove cake from the oven and make holes in it with a skewer.
• Pour over the hot syrup
• Leave to cool
• Turn out onto a serving plate
• Serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream

THE CONVERSATION

Food is best when accompanied by good and lively conversation and the food was well accompanied. Val is marvellous company. As well as a former librarian at the Goethe Institute, her background is in German language and lit. studied in the mythological sixties at that great mythological institution, University of California at Berkeley. Pardon, Miss Eagle. She is a child of the sixties and Berkeley was a place one read about with amazement - at a time when merely sitting in a park in conservative Toowoomba to protest the Vietnam war was enough to bring down on one's head the epithet of "Communist!".

And there were Val's handmade books which she brought to show. Beautiful! Inspiring! And Miss Eagle was given a teensy-weensy beautiful one! Thank you, Val. Then we finished up with a visit to Craft Fair where Val purchased nothing but Miss Eagle found these papers irresistible. A sale on at the moment!

All in all, a beautiful blogging buddy day.

The flaming Bundaberg Omelette and Beer Soup

The Old Foodie has to be everone's favourite foodie. To-day, though, she has a post to be remarked upon. Alcoholic beverages defining some unique foods. Beer soup reminiscent of Babette's Feast. But the one I am going to tuck away for future implementation is the Rum Omelette.

Miss Eagle is a bit surprised though, dear Old Foodie. As a Queenslander, you did not take the opportunity to specify WHICH Rum. This Queenslander-in-exile-in-Melbourne will rectify the matter: Bundy, of course.

And wouldn't this make a wonderful Queenslander State of Origin breakfast?

Vicious Ange's Kluski Soup

This post was put up two days ago. Miss Eagle is bringing it to the top again because the Photo Friday challenge is "Large". For why this qualifies, please see Ange's remarks in the Comments.

Delicious! Miss Eagle has made the Kluski Soup recipe from Vicious Ange.

It is simple! And the dumplings just the best ever!

Miss E had always made dumplings like scones.

Never again - after this lovely, light, eggy dough.

Thank you, Ange - and thanks to your Mum and Grandma.

Hey, Pistou - THE Vegetable Broth

The sick girl that has been Miss Eagle for weeks on end, forever and ever, amen may have turned a corner to-day. (Hugs and blessings please to keep the feeling!) May try to put in an appearance at work to-morrow and hope my job is still there and that they recognise the person who comes to sit in that particular playpen. What passes as food for an invalid these days? This is probably the most superb dish - the queen of all broths. Miss Eagle accessed it this wonderful Pistou over at the ABC courtesy of that superb and ethusiastic foodie, Ian Parmenter.

Pistou - The great French provincial soup

Chef: Ian Parmenter

The French call this a soup. They are being unduly modest.

Pistou is a supercharged gastronomic scene-stealer. It is a triumph not just because it is a great vegetable soup, but because it’s served with the mixture which gives it its name, a delicious sauce of basil, garlic, egg yolk and olive oil. It is within reach of those of us who are able to acquire fresh basil. For the rest of you - I’m deeply sorry. If you plan to serve it as an entree, you’ll only need a very light main course, perhaps a grilled sardine on a lettuce leaf.

The soup: 2 large onions, sliced in rings; 2 leeks, sliced in rings; 2 carrots, grated; 2 sticks celery, chopped; 2 large potatoes cut into small cubes; 200 gms fresh green beans chopped into bite sized lengths; 200 gms dried beans (haricot, kidney, etc); 5 or 6 cloves garlic crushed; 2 Tbsp olive oil (preferably extra virgin); 200 gms cooked macaroni.

The pistou sauce: 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 cup chopped fresh basil; 1 egg yolk; 1/2 cup olive oil.

To serve: 100 gms grated gruyere or emmental

Method:

To make the soup:

The day before, soak the dried beans in cold water. In a heavy saucepan or stockpot put the 2 Tbsp olive oil. Gently cook the onions, leeks, carrot and celery for five minutes. Add soaked dried beans, green beans, potato pieces and garlic. Cover with water and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Just before serving, season to taste and stir in the macaroni.

To make the Pistou Sauce:

Pound the fresh basil and garlic in a mortar - or blend. Add the egg yolk. Gradually stir in the olive oil, starting a few drops at a time - as you would for mayonnaise. The mixture should thicken. The pistou sauce will go brown if exposed for a long time to air. It sort of rusts. This is not a problem, except that it can look unsightly. The solutions are either to put it in an airtight jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil or to make up the sauce immediately before serving. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several days though because it contains raw egg yolk. I prefer to make it up as I need it.

To serve:

Put a small dollop of sauce in each bowl, sprinkle in a little grated cheese, pour on a good amount of soup and get everyone to wait a full two minutes, savouring the wonderful aroma, before stirring the mixture up well and eating with tremendous enthusiasm.

Truly, this is one of the world’s great dishes! This recipe featured by Carole Whitelock

Spicy Peanut & Vege Noodles

This is yummy. It is based on the recipe for Spicy Peanut Soup in Vegan Cooking for Health. The recipe is below followed by Miss Eagle's adjustments.

Ingredients - Serves 6

30ml/2 tbsp oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed (Miss E loves garlic - she used 5)

5ml/1 tsp mild chilli powder (Miss E isn't big on chilli. Use to taste)

2 red peppers, seeded and finely chopped. (Miss E used one large capsicum)

225g/8 oz red carrots (Miss E used one medium carrot)

225g/8 oz potatoes, peeled and cubed (Miss E used 3 kipler potatoes, unpeeled, cubed)

3 celery sticks, sliced

900ml/1 1/2 pints vegetable stock

90ml/6 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (Miss E used more than the 90ml)

115g/ 4oz cup sweetcorn (Miss E skipped this because it doesn't agree with her)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Roughly chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, to garnish. (Miss E used extra unsalted peanuts crushed - in a plastic bag - with a rolling pin in the soup itself for extra crunch)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and grlic for about three minutes. Add the chilli powder and cook for a further 1 minute.

2. Add the peppers, carrots, potatoes and celery to the pan. Stir well, then cook for a further 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in the stock, peanut butter, and sweetcorn until combined.

4. Season well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Adjust the seasoning before serving and sprinkle with the chopped roasted peanuts, to garnish.

The season for soup

Miss Eagle walked in to Her Upper Gully Woolies yesterday afternoon and, on entering, the fruit & veg department came up against a display which said (without being written in large letters) PEA SOUP. There were ham hocks and packs of soup veges and packs of peas and lentils. Miss Eagle could not resist and Pea Soup was, before too long, on the menu and in the tummy. Here's how.

PEA SOUP

Ingredients: 2 Ham Hocks, 2 large onions, garlic to taste (Miss E. loves heaps), 1 large carrot, 2 cups of dried green peas, 2 cups of diced celery, 12 cups of water.

Method: Put the Ham Hocks, onions, garlic, and water in a big pot and bring to a simmer. Leave to simmer for about an hour. Remove hocks and remove the skin/rind and dispose. Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite sized pieces. Return to the water. Miss E. also puts the bare bones back to get the most out of them, but you don't have to. Add the remaining vegetables. Cook for another 45 minutes. Peas should be a little mushy but with whole cooked peas still visible and in shape.

Miss Eagle serves her soup, as you can see from the photograph, over a slice of Phillipa's bread. In this case, her Campagnard Bloomer. Phillipa's bread is arguably the best bread in the whole of Melbourne and here, in the outer south-east, we are privileged to be able to purchase Phillipa's product off the shelf at the local Maxi supermarket here in Upper Gully.

Slow cooking food 2 - Soup

Miss Eagle's traditional beef soup is beautifully rich and thick and has been simmering slowly for almost 24 hours. The beef is shin beef - otherwise known as gravy beef. Shin beef is used in making soup because it makes a rich beef stock which is highly nutritious. Years ago in nursing courses and in primary school domestic science there used to be a subject called "Invalid Cookery". One of the highlights of invalid cookery was something called Beef Tea. Shin beef was used in this. Beef Tea was designed to put nutrients into the body weakened by illness. Miss Eagle dices and trims the beef so that nice tender morsels of beef are part of the soup. The potatoes are Kipfler Potatoes otherwise known as German Finger Potatoes. Kipflers are a waxy, finger shaped potatoes with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled, steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes. Miss Eagle likes them for soup because they are small and irregularly shaped. She leaves them whole but chooses the tiniest of them so they go well in a traditional soup plate. And speaking of soup plates. Miss Eagle loves the traditional soup plate with the wide brim about the edge. Certainly not a deep bowl - and mugs are only for when one can only manage the chemicals in hot water known as cuppa soup. You see, there is a reason why a soup plate is large and broad and shallow. It is because it keeps soup at the right temperature - neither too hot, or too cold. If it is too hot to start with, it cools quickly. As for the wide brim, it can hold a morsel of broken bread.

Miss Eagle prefers her very old Crescent English bone china plates. But if you can't get any vintage soup plates, Maxwell Williams does a satisfactory, but slightly smaller, modern version in the famous plain white.

The herbs are fresh from the garden as with the Lamb Shanks and Macaroni. The other vegetables are onion, parsnip, and carrot (a feast of nutritious root vegetables) and mushrooms and snow peas. The little heap of grain to the left is pearl barley.

One thing Miss Eagle must say about the soup, the shanks and when you bake bread and pudding: you decorate the atmosphere of your home with aromas to die for, the aromas that become memories forever after, aromas that make one's mouth water, and make one hungry for all that is good and nutritious.