I have fond memories of my visit to Sienna in Tuscany. One of my fave discoveries was the Ricciarelli biscuit which I describe as a Tuscan style macaroon (orange zest being the secret ingredient - well, not so secret!) I recently baked them for passengers on the Go West Tours as they complimented the perfectly made Vittoria coffee at Cantarella Bros. Thank you Sean!

Ricciarelli – Almond Biscuits (Delicious with coffee or Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine)

Makes approx 24

300g almond meal (finely ground almonds)
280g caster sugar
100g icing sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 egg whites
25g icing sugar, extra

In a bowl, mix together almond meal, caster sugar, 100g icing sugar, baking powder and orange zest. Use your finger tips to distribute the rind evenly.
Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and combine with almond mix. It will be a relatively sticky mix.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using 2 dessertspoons, make a spoon shaped mound and push onto the tray using a spoon. Continue with remaining mix, ensuring that biscuits are 3-4 cms apart to allow for spreading.
Sift the remaining icing sugar over the tops and allow the biscuits to sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to dry out slightly.
Preheat oven to 140degC and bake the biscuits for 30 minutes until light golden brown and firm to touch. (The inside will still be soft).
Remove from oven and cool on the tray. When completely cool, store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.


Interesting Coffee Trivia: Cappuccino is a coffee made with espresso coffee and steamed milk foam. The name cappuccino derives from ‘capuchin’ meaning small cap. The coffee represents the habits worn by Capuchin monks.

It seems that years back when cucumbers had bitter skins, they were full of phytochemicals called cucurbitacins which although had anticancer properties, could also be quite toxic when ingested. These days, consumers are provided with different varieties of cucumbers which have sweeter and more palatable skins and definitely not toxic. In fact, the skin of cucumber is a source of dietary fibre and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and molybdenum.

The South West region of France is known for its duck dishes and in the recent 'Rellies in France' classes, we cooked duck breast and duck leg in true Midi Pyrenees fashion. I hope that the following information answers a few questions raised about duck meat and duck fat:

Duck meat:
Why is it so much darker than chicken meat. Unlike chickens, ducks are able to fly hundreds of kilometres and therefore have myoglobin-rich muscle fibres which are a rich dark red colour. Ducks are much less susceptible to salmonella than chickens and can therefore be eaten pink or raw.

Duck fat:
Ducks are waterfowl and consequently have a large layer of fat between the meat and the skin to act as insulation. This fat can be rendered down to use for cooking potatoes and for cooking duck confit. How healthy is duck fat? Well, it is not as healthy as olive oil, but it is certainly better for you than chicken or pork fat and even butter. Although it is made up of 35% saturated fats which are bad for you, it also has 50% monounsaturates and 15% polyunsaturates which are good for you.
Note:Saturated fats are more harmful to you when heated at high temperatures. Cooking duck on a low heat releases fat whilst cooking to create a crispy skin yet keeping the meat tender underneath. It also prevents the saturated fats from becoming harmful.

You may have noticed that some eggs that you buy in cartons are completely clean and others have a slightly dirty look to them.

It is very important that you never wash eggs (especially cold water) as this removes the natural antibacterial coating on egg shells. If you are using cold water, this causes the egg inside to shrink slightly and allow even more bacteria to pass through the shell into the egg cavity. Commercially, it is standard to either dry brush them as soon as possible - or to wash them quickly in warm water and immediately spray on a sanitiser. Organic eggs are always dry scrubbed and hence a slightly dirty look.

It is best to avoid the eggs getting dirty in the first place. This is done by collecting the eggs more often to avoid soiling and trampling.

Although they look similar at a distance, they are hugely different from each other.

Greaseproof paper is exactly that - grease proof. This is because it contains wax which creates a barrier for oily and fatty foods. Hence it is quite suitable to wrap fatty foods such as cheese, sandwiches, etc. However, because of the wax content, it is not suitable to use with heat. Note: It is sometimes referred as wax paper.

Baking paper is paper coated with silicon and therefore can withstand heat up to approx 230 deg. Up to this heat, it is completely non-stick and ideal for baking with sticky items such as sugar, cheese, butter, etc. Note: It is sometimes referred to as parchment paper because it resembles old parchment paper.

And while we are on wraps, I have been informed by a major manufacturer, that cling film is made from polyethylene which is food safe. You need to check various brands to see that it is not made of PVC which can be harmful in a food environment. Cling film shrivels when wrapped around oil, sugar or acidic foods because the food reaches a higher temperature.

Pudding Lane puddings are my favourite. Moist and packed full of natural ingredients and big flavours.

Why are they called plum puddings if there are no plums in them? Because they are wrapped in cloth, cooked for hours and then they sit 'plum' in their cloths!

Another bit of trivia: Why is it traditional to have at least 13 ingredients in Christmas Pudding? One ingredient for each apostle and one for Christ.

A Christmas joke comes to mind as I write this: What happens to you if you eat Christmas Decorations? You get tinsilitis!

Making a yeast dough in the recent Latvian cooking classes, I explained that yeast is a living organism and that care should be taken to keep it alive. (i.e. keep it warm and moist while preparing the dough).

Someone asked the question: "Who discovered yeast?":

Yeasts are all around us in our environment and are one of the original plant forms. But when did we start to use it to help the fermentation process to rise dough for bread? Baking chambers were discovered in ancient Egyptian ruins. It is thought that dough made from wheat and flour to make a flat bread was accidentally left to warm in the sun. This dough attracted natural environmental yeast which made the bread rise in the oven. A starter piece of dough was kept from the next batch and used to rise further doughs.

In 1676, when Anton Leewenhoek developed the microscope, yeast was finally ‘discovered’ . However, it was only in 1859, that Louis Pasteur discovered how yeast actually worked in bread baking.

The yeast feeds on starches in flour, turning it into sugars and in the process, producing carbon dioxide gas. These bubbles of carbon dioxide make the dough rise.

Why do we have to knead dough?
When flour and water is mixed together, gluten is created. The more you knead them together, the more flour and water molecules are linked together to form a stronger and elastic dough, enabling it to capture the carbon dioxide and rise.

LATVIAN RYE BREAD

Candlenut trees are of the Euphorbia family mostly grown in the South Pacific, Indonesia and Malaysia. The nuts have a very high oil content and when threaded with a wick, will burn like a candle, hence the name. Raw candlenuts are mildly toxic and have a laxative effect, so ensure that they are cooked before consumption.

Flavour is mild, becoming nuttier when roasted. However, their main culinary purpose is as an amalgamator or a thickener. When ground, they help to make a sauce thick and creamy.

Candlenuts should be stored away from light and heat and can be substituted with macadamias.

In the 'Flavours of Bali' classes, we are using star anise to flavour a vanilla and lime syrup. Mmmmm.... beautiful tropical flavours. I have promised to answer some questions about this pungent and decorative star shaped spice:



Star Anise is an essential ingredient of Five Spice. It is also used to produce Pernod, Galliano, Sambucca, cough mixtures and played a huge part in production of Tamiflu. Star anise contains anethol which gives it the anise flavour.

It grows on medium sized evergreen trees in China and Vietnam. Small white, pink and purple flowers turn into the fruit (star shaped seed pods) which are harvested just before ripening and sun dried.

A few weeks ago, we visited Cabramatta for one of my foodie tours. At Bele Fruit and Veg (you must visit! Friendly, fresh and entertaining), we were given samples of juicy sweet pineapples from Queensland. On the platter, was a mound of Chilli Salt to dip the pineapple into. It was salty, spicy, sour and sweet all in one quick dip. I promised to let everyone know how to re-create it at home:

So easy: In a blender, process together one large fresh red chilli (stems, seeds and membranes removed), 4 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons sea salt. This will keep for quite a few months as the salt is the preserving agent.