CREME DE MENTHE

DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Makes about 30 truffles

I suppose I was feeling a bit adventurous this year, so I decided to try my hand at truffles. Not just any truffles, mind you, but my favourites with lots of peppermint! I used my own homemade creme de menthe (one for me, two for the pot) and a bit of extra peppermint extract to make them more aromatic and to allow the mint to penetrate the very rich dark chocolate.

They turned out wonderfully and they just melted in your mouth. I ended up giving most of them away as gifts (self-preservation) but did enjoy just a couple myself. They are really quite simple to make (although messy as all heck) so, perhaps I'll experiment with other flavours...I still have plenty homemade kahlua in the pantry alongside the creme de menthe, hmmmmm....

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Cream

½ Cup Creme De Menthe

(and/or optional peppermint extract - depending on how strong you like them)
250 Gm Dark Chocolate (at least 72% Cocoa), broken into small pieces.
¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
*Cocoa Powder for rolling truffles at the end

* Amount will vary with each batch.


DIRECTIONS:

First, break or cut the chocolate into small peices and put them into a medium heat resistant bowl and set aside.

Next, heat the cream and creme de menthe (and/or peppermint extract) and bring to a boil.

Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately pour the hot liquid over the chocolate and stir carefully until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture becomes a creamy and smooth ganache.

Now, add the butter and mix again until well combined before pouring the entire contents into a glass dish to cool in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate for 2 hours minimum – overnight preferred.

When the compound is hard but malleable, use a melon-baller or two teaspoons to form a small quinelle of ganache, roll them between (gloved) hands into a small ball, and then roll them in the cocoa powder.

The ganache will tend to melt as soon as you touch it, so don't roll them too long. Laytex gloves work well to assist in rolling truffles as they keep the mess localized and you don't need to keep rinsing hands in between balls. Adding some cocoa powder to your palms before rolling the quinelles into balls also helps, somewhat, to keep the chocolate from sticking to everything.

Set the truffles aside to chill in a sealed container when all of the truffles are done.

Sprinkle with cocoa powder and/or icing sugar (powdered/confectioners' sugar) then chill until 1 hour prior to serving.

To fully appreciate the flavour and consistency, they are best served at room temperature.

ENJOY!

FRESH NZ CRAYFISH SALAD

(aka Spiny Rock Lobster to those in North America)

First, I need to share a little story.

Just after arriving in NZ over 3 years ago now, my husband took me over to meet one of his many sisters and her hubby. We arrived just before her husband and his boat, as he had just returned from a dive with several huge creatures nearly as big as our daughter! I was then asked if I liked crayfish or scallops, to which I promptly replied, “uhm, not crayfish, but scallops are nice…I do like lobster though.”

I didn’t understand at the time why they might ask me about crayfish when we were looking at enormous lobsters (sans front claws though) here and, where I grew up, crayfish were smallish muddy horrible things that weren’t worth all of the effort to catch, soak in clear water overnight, clean and cook just to get one bite of meat from each of the little beasts.

So, we carried on with our visit and I think we even went home with some lovely NZ scallops (also quite huge and attached to some funny orange bit – more on that later). It wasn’t until later that evening at home when I realized in talking to my husband, that we could have probably taken one of those huge lobsters home if I hadn’t said I didn’t eat crayfish! What – you actually call those gigantic granddaddy lobsters crayfish???

Well, it’s been an ongoing joke ever since…Tiff “blew her chips” (meaning lost her chances) to get any fresh crayfish from now on.

Now, fast-forward to this weekend and my brother & sister-in-laws were on their way to visit another sibling nearby and popped by on their way to drop off a crayster – or lobsfish…you know what I mean… It was a great surprise and just in time for lunch – YUM! (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)

I basically borrowed a slightly modified version of a friend’s cauliflower recipe over at Cooking Dunkin Style and topped the creamy, cheesy cauliflower with the diced up crayfish meat. What a treat! I usually eat lobster with the traditional clarified butter, but I have learned to do things a bit differently here.

So, in a nutshell, here is one more nice way to have lobster/crayfish!


INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower
Mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans)
Milk
Diced Onion
Grated Tasty/Cheddar Cheese
Crayfish
Salt & Pepper

All of the amounts are really up to the individual, so just go with what works for you.

DIRECTIONS:

The crayfish was boiled and chilled in advance, so all I really needed to do was crack that baby open and carefully pull out all of the meat, then dice it up and set it aside.

I cut up the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces next and put them all into a microwave-safe glass dish.

Next, I put a couple of good dollops of mayo into a jug and added just enough milk to make it easy to pour over the cauliflower.

After that, I sprinkled diced onions evenly over the top and covered the whole thing with grated cheese.

To cook it, I placed baking paper over the top and nuked it in the microwave until the cauliflower was tender and the cheese was melted and beginning to brown (about 5-7 minutes).

To serve it, I just mixed up the cauliflower and scooped some into a bowl then topped it off with the crayfish meat and a bit of salt & pepper.

Couldn’t be easier, really…or more tasty.

Thank goodness that our daughter has not yet developed a fondness for crayfish, as it is currently about $100 NZD per kilo (2.2 Lbs)…that is approximately $50 per pound…or, $25-30 per pound in US dollars! :o) Doesn’t sound so bad that way, does it? LOL

DR. PEPPER vs ROOT BEER

FUN KIWI 'TASTE TEST' EXPERIMENT

Just a couple of months ago, I discovered another new treasure trove of goodies down under. The place is called Davis Trading Company in Petone, just north of Wellington City, and I discovered that they stock a good amount of items I like to have on hand, most of which can be a challenge to find down here. This is where I buy most of the things I use to make my Asian dishes but it is also a great place to stock up on spices and/or some bulk items such as, nuts, seeds, potato/tapioca flour, rice, etc..

Not too long ago, I was preparing to make my Pancit Canton and needed some Chinese sausages, so I trecked off to Petone…when right next to the meat fridge, there they were and I couldn’t believe my eyes! I hadn’t seen Dr. Pepper in a couple of years and it had been even longer since I had seen or tasted Root Beer. I was quite understandably excited…I couldn’t wait to have my Kiwi mates try a Root Beer Float or taste Dr. Pepper.

I have tried many times to explain what it tastes like, but find myself at a loss for the right words. I even ended up buying a few cans of Diet Dr. Pepper and Cream Soda on that trip as well. I don’t often drink sodas (or "pop" as it is referred to in Oregon) anymore – perhaps once a month or so… I usually have to settle for Sprite (aka lemonade here), Coke or Pepsi because those plentiful here, so I was happy to have a little favourite treat or two. My Dad and I love the Dr and Mom and I always enjoyed an occasional Root Beer.

So…a few weeks later, I decide to surprise my friends with a can of each for a taste test. It was one of the funniest things I had seen in some time. My friend and neighbour, Linda, poured a bit in several glasses starting with the Dr. Pepper. She stops the glass halfway to take in the aroma as you would do with a fine wine. Next, with a look of trepidation on her face, she takes a small sip and tries to hide the disappointment of her face as the others look on as if to see whether Linda would swallow or not. Linda makes an attempt at a smile and says, “Now that’s interesting…”, as the others suspiciously taste theirs.

The overall consensus on the Dr. Pepper was that it wasn’t all that bad and that the taste reminded them of almond essence (or Christmas cake marzipan) and a hint of cherry. Most of my mates didn’t mind the flavour and I think that one of them (Nadine’s family has ties to North America via Canada) actually liked the stuff! Linda never liked almond flavouring in sweets, so she said that is what turned her off the Dr. Pepper.

It was a whole different ball game with the Root Beer though. Again, I think Linda’s face was priceless and was a bit of advanced warning (not to mention comedic expression) for everyone when the glass was once again raised halfway for a good sniff first. “Aw, geez, this stuff smells just like liniment!”, she says…”I don’t know if I can drink this stuff, yuck!” Once the laughter died down, the group all pretty much concurred, that, yes, this one does smell funnily like medicine but the few brave souls courageous enough to take the first sips encouraged the rest to just try it because it wasn’t really that bad if you can get past the smell. I think it took Linda at least ten full minutes to work up the willpower to sip it, but I am pretty sure they all gave up on the Root Beer quick enough. The idea of combining it with any sort of ice cream probably sounded sacrilegious since Kiwis do truly cherish their ice cream! (Even in the winter!)

Anyway, the taste tests did make for a fun afternoon and even though I had to finish the Root Beer alone, I had a much better idea of how to explain these flavours to a Kiwi, or an Aussie, who perhaps had never tasted the stuff before.

More recipes coming soon, so stay tuned.

Cheers!