BUTTERING UP
TV chef Nigella Lawson once described the late Elvis Presley as a genius for combining cooked bananas and peanut butter in his favourite sandwich. Who’d have thought mushy banana and peanut butter squished together between slices of fried white bread could taste so glorious?
SHANE DELIA, HEAD CHEF AND OWNER OF MAHA, HOST OF SHANE DELIA’S SPICE JOURNEY ON SBS TV. FB: How would you rate your cooking skills? SD: Average at best. FB: What is your signature dish? SD: I don’t believe in signature dishes; to just hang your hat up on one dish is a bit lazy. But the one dish people seem to love at Maha is our 12-hour roasted lamb shoulder. FB: If you could only have one more meal, what would it be? SD: I’m really simple; I think it would be a really good bowl of Pho. FB: What is your favorite TV food show, and who is your favorite TV food person? SD: Shane Delia’s Spice Journey Journey. Shane Delia
As always, if you have any recipes, tips or other info you’d like to share, email me at sarah@ howdypartnersmedia.com.au
FB: What is your favorite food? SD: Favorite food to eat is anything Asian. I love all the fresh spice and use of aromatics. Favourite food to cook really depends on the season and how I am feeling, but generally it is anything cooked at home with my daughter, Jayda. FB: What is your favorite drink? SD: Negron. FB: Which five people would you most like to invite to dinner? SD: Reuven Rivlin (Israeli president), Barack Obama (US president), Vladimir Putin (Russian president), Ali Khamenei (supreme leader of Iran) and Bashar al-Assad (Syrian president). It would be good to sit down with these ‘gentlemen’ and sort out their differences once and for all. FB: Do you have a kitchen tip for us? SD: Clean as you go.
Well, if you think mixing peanut butter with banana is decadent … try mixing it with maple syrup. Just place half a cup of smooth peanut butter and half a cup of pure maple syrup in a small saucepan and stir for five minutes over a low heat, or until smooth. Don’t worry if the mixture splits, just keep stirring until it comes back together. Set aside to cool and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. What you’ll end up with is a wickedly delicious spread to slather on toast, muffins or crumpets. Or you can serve it warm, as gooey sauce, over ice cream or pancakes. This fabulously simple recipe from Australian Good Taste magazine would also be a great, kid-friendly alternative to the traditional brandy butter we see trotted out over the festive season.
APPLE ROSES
Making ‘apple roses’ has been one of the big online foodie crazes this year. There are several recipes to try for this very pretty dessert, but it’s basically a matter of spreading some jam on a thin strip of store-bought puff pastry, then placing very thin slices of apple along the dough, carefully rolling it up and baking in muffin pans. I’ve included a photo here of an apple rose made by a friend, and they were pretty chuffed with the result. Have you had a go at making apple roses? I’d love to see your photos. Well, that’s it from me for another year. Thanks so much to everyone who’s contributed to Food Bytes in 2015, and I hope you all have a safe, happy Christmas, filled with fabulous food.
“You could probably get through life without knowing how to roast a chicken, but the question is, would you want to?” Nigella Lawson.
FOOD BYTES proudly sponsored by Westpoint Ford
Artist’s Impression - Overton Road
1&2 BEDROOM
APARTMENTS
FROM
$289,000
Discover the convenience of Newton Apartments at Williams Landing. • 19km from Melbourne’s CBD • Short walk to Williams Landing train station • Short walk to the Williams Landing shopping centre • Large balconies and courtyards • Plenty of natural light • Quality fixtures and fittings • Cutting edge infrastructure • Surrounded by parkland You’ll love your new home in Williams Landing.
LIVE THE HIGH LIFE, CONTACT US NOW! Sales Centre: 3 Opsum Way, Williams Landing newtonapartments.com.au 1300 11 22 02
Artist’s Impression - kitchen/living room - colour scheme A 24 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY \ DECEMBER 9, 2015