Paella

Paella, coming from the word Pan, as they use a large flat pan to cook the meal. This dish is known well for being Spanish however there are other origins routing from Spain and Italy. During the season of lent, the Spanish in the 10th century were customary for eating fish, but they had started collecting rice in those years, so they mixed the two together in large pans to create what we know as a paella.

A Modern Paella can consist of Chicken, Meats, Fish, and most reassuringly rice, adding sauces and vegetables are optional but are indeed better options to increase taste. However the most well known form of Paella's are the Seafood ones. These can consist of Mussels, Shrimp, Lobster, Oysters and many other forms of Seafood Delicatessen.

In Sydney, Alergias Spanish Tapas, is arguably the best shop to obtain your paella cravings. A hint; Alegria means Good Wishes/Joy/Happiness. They can be found in Balmain, with the address and website attached below.

To make sure you are getting authentic paella, make sure you see the large classic pan toasting away at the contents of your paella, this is the reason it creates the rice dish so well, the shallow pan allows the flavors from the other foods to be infused so well with the rice giving an amazing texture.

Alegrias Spanish Tapas:
9/332 Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041
http://www.alegrias.com.au/menu

Next time you think Spanish food, think Paella, but you probably already do!

Reference -
 March, Lourdes (1999), "Paella", in Davidson, Alan, The Oxford Companion to Food, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 566–567, ISBN 0-19-211579-0
 "An assortment of paella recipes". Spain-recipes.com. Retrieved 2016-05-19.

Bon Appétit!

Ciao everyone!

I'm sure a lot of you guys, if not all, have eaten Italian food sometime in your life, but for those of you who haven't, this is a MUST READ!

PIZZA & PASTA are my go-to foods, and I want to share some of my favourite places with you (refer to end of blog ;))

Here's a quick history lesson on Italian culture:

Italian culture is deeply grounded in arts, family, architecture and food. Family and food really go hand-in-hand here as family is an extremely important value in the culture. If you have any Italian friends, you've probably noticed they have frequent extended family gatherings and enjoy a good pasta & pizza frenzy ;). Italian cuisine has spread across the globe since the early 1900's and have since well and deeply grounded in almost every city and country in the world.

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Pizza in its most basic form is a dough base, fresh toppings, some herbs and a whole lot of cheese! Just to name a few, here are some contemporary popular pizzas: Margherita, Supreme, Garlic prawn!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Pasta_2006_5.jpg

Pasta comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, including spaghetti, linguine, penne, rotini and more. You can choose from a tomato (red), cream (white), or neapolitan (pink) base depending on what you're craving!

My favourite Italian restaurant in Sydney is Lucio’s @ 47 Windsor Street, Paddington. It’s rated the number 2 Italian restaurant in Sydney 

Bon Appétit!

Jen

Reference: 

Lifeinitaly.com. (2016). History of Pizza | Italy. [online] Available at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/pizza-history.asp [Accessed 18 May 2016].

Spices - Bengali food & culture

Hey guys! Hope you’ve been enjoying our blogs so far.

Today ill be sharing a little bit about a cultural fish dish from India, Bengali. Traditionally, the Indian culture very much upholds the act of gathering together after a long day to share and spend quality time over a feast-like dinner!

The Bengali cuisine is most renowned and valued for it’s use of Panch Poron. Panch Poron directly translates to ‘the five essential spices’, and the five spices included in this cuisine are mustard, fenugreek seed, cumin seed, aniseed, and black cumin seed.

http://tajagroproducts.com/images/Panch%20Phoron/FiveSpices.jpg

The staple foods of Bengali people are fish and rice. (Fun fact: when and if fish is not served in any meal throughout the day, Bengali people feel as though their meal is incomplete!)

Now, the key to Bengali food lies in the perfect blend between spicy and sweet. Bengali people will generally deep fry the fish in mustard oil then serve it up with 5 separate gravies made from the Panch Poron. This allows you to mix and match the different spices to your own taste! Whether you’re a fan of spicy, sweet and/or savoury, or even depending on your food-mood, these 5 essential spices makes it easy to adjust the flavours around and is suitable for anyone! 

http://www.culturalindia.net/gifs/bengali-food.jpg

There are a lot of restaurants around Sydney that serve Indian foods, but the best Bengali fish dish I've found so far is at Bang Street Food in Surry Hills. 

3/410 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Check it out guys!

Jen

Reference:

Culturalindia.net. (2016). Bengali Food - Traditional Bengali Food, Traditional Food of Bengal India, Bengali Cuisine, Bengali Dishes. [online] Available at: http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-food/bengali-cuisine.html [Accessed 17 May 2016].

Argentina's National Dish!

Locro is a traditional South American dish that may be compared to a thick stew or chilli and is particularly popular in Ecuador and Argentina. This stew is not only regarded as a food but also a custom in these countries.

This dish is usually consumed during "fiestas patrias" (aka patriotic holidays) in Argentina. People often enjoy this dish during the winter months as it is served hot. Also, locro is packed with high calories and nutrients which provides a rich source of nutrition during the harsh winters. Hence it is a highly recommended feed!



Typically, locro is made with corn and white
beans with some kinds of meat. Usually the meat cuts includes bones so you must eat around it when the dish is served! Other ingredients may include sausages and a variety of vegetables.


Locro is always vegetable-based and is commonly served with bread and sometimes even with a spicy sauce on the side such as chimichurri or quiquirimichi. Similar to a stew, the best way to prepare the dish is to cook slowly over a low heat for a long period of time.

Thanks for having a read!

- Tommy



Reference:

wiseGEEK. 2016. What is Locro? (with pictures). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-locro.htm. [Accessed 17 May 2016]

Chinese Hotpot!

CHINESE HOT POT!

Hey people! To prepare for the upcoming winter, I introduce to you HOT POT! Chinese hot pot has a history over 1000 years, and is still considered the most popular dish for social gatherings all across Asia. It's believed to be popular for one reason! The large pot is placed in the centre of the table to share, allowing easy eating, chatting and drinking. What a great way to socialise over dinner :) 

The typical hot pot consists of stock, meats, seafood, vegetables with various dipping sauce. The two most popular hotpots are Sichuan hotpot and Beijing mutton hot pot. Let’s start with Sichuan Hotpot!



http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/spicy-chicken-hot-pot.jpg

Sichuan Hot pot is extremely popular all across China. It’s famous for its spiciness and ability to ‘numb’ your tongue :P This is all thanks to the special seasoning – Sichuan pepper. Like any other hotpot, you can add any of your favourite meats, leaf vegetables and noodles with dipping sauce (I recommend Sesame sauce). So for those of you wanting to challenge your taste buds, I recommend the Sichuan hot pot!




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Beijing Mutton Hot pot translates to Instant-boiled mutton. This hot pot is known to be the number 1 representative hot pot of Northern China. The ingredients typically include mutton meat, stock extracted from sheep-bone, ginger, shallots, mushrooms, Chinese dates and dried seafood. Unlike the Sichuan hot pot, the Mutton hot pot has clear soup and is an easy eat.

Here are some Hot Pot Hot-Spots:

Shangcheng Hotpot King @ 8a/363 Sussex St, Sydney

Sichuan Restaurant @ 248 Burwood Rd, Burwood

Enjoy! Jen

References
Luo, E. (2012). Hot Pot – China Sichuan Food. [online] Chinasichuanfood.com. Available at: http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/hot-pot/#introduce [Accessed 16 May 2016].


Wu, A. (2016). Chinese Hotpot — A Popular Chinese Dish You Should Try. [online] ChinaHighlights. Available at: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/hotpot.htm [Accessed 16 May 2016].

Escargot (French snails)

Bonjour!

The infamous French dish, Escargot (land snails), have been regularly consumed in the European cuisine since the prehistoric times. It was known as an ‘elite dish’ in the Roman ages, and the desire to consume these land snails have not stopped there!

Escargot is still considered a delicacy all around the world, consequently commanding a hefty price. When cooked, the land snails are generally prepared with garlic, parsley butter, and served in their own snail shell. Restaurants generally serve these snails in special ‘Escargot dishes’, a silver platter with 6 or 12 holders, and two forks.

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The primary taste is butter and has a similar texture to scallop and oyster. So for those who have yet to try these guys, imagine baked shellfish covered in butter garlic sauce! Yummmm! Plus, these snails not only taste great, but are also high in protein and low in fat!

Fun fact: Did you know that the French consume over 40,000 metric tons of snails each year?

Fact 2: May 24th is National Escargot day! I know what I'll be having for dinner ;)

Here are some places that sell Escargot in Sydney;

• The Little Snail (http://www.thelittlesnail.com.au/)
• La Guillatine (http://www.laguillotine.com.au/)

 Au Revoir!
Jen

Reference:

Myrick, R. (2012). Escargot Fun Facts | Mobile Cuisine. [online] Mobile Cuisine | Food Truck, Pop Up & Street Food Coverage. Available at: http://mobile-cuisine.com/did-you-know/escargot-fun-facts/ [Accessed 16 May 2016].

Snail-world. 2016. Snails as Food - Snail Facts and Information. [online] Available at: http://www.snail-world.com/snails-as-food/ [Accessed 16 May 2016].