November | 2014 | thefidgetyfoodie

Tasty bites from Transylvania

Posted on November 27, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

Dracula’s castle (maybe) in Bran

I’ve just returned from a week in Transylvania, the largest region in Romania.

Dracula you say? Well yes, he’s their biggest drawcard. A fictional character based ever so loosely on a 15th century prince who probably never actually lived in Transylvania (at least not in his so called castle), created by a writer who never stepped foot in the country. But who cares? Everyone loves the story and at one point it was the best selling book after the Bible.

What does Dracula drink? Draquila of course

I was much more interested in the food. Of course. You don’t hear much about Romanian food and even the culture is a bit of a mystery. Due to its location, it’s always been a buffer zone of sorts, sandwiched between big powers like Russia, the Austro-Hungarians and the Ottomans.

Ciorbă – Romanian sour soup

Transylvania was part of Hungary until WW1, after which it was absorbed by Romania. This is why you see a strong Hungarian and German influence throughout the region, along with references to Turkish and Russian culture.

While everyone else chased vampires, I chased down all the traditional dishes I could find and was not disappointed. So here’s a litle overview of my favourite dishes:

Ciorbă soup with tripe

Ciorbă soup: The average temperature while I was there was 2 degrees so I was freezing most of the time. Lucky for me then that no Romanian meal is complete without a soup and their signature is the distinctive sour soup called ciorbă that is soured with vinegar, sauerkraut juice or lemon. I tried a few variations including vegetable, tripe and pork and they were all generously portioned and delicious. Many people baulk at the idea of eating stomach lining (I have no idea why) but even the doubtful would enjoy it prepared this way as it’s thinly sliced and very tender. Trust me!

Mămăligă, a meal unto itself

Mămăligă: this is the Romanian answer to polenta; boiled cornmeal that is the very cornerstone of Romanian meals. It is served plain or with butter, cheese or sour cream. I made the mistake of ordering it along with a main, thinking it would be like a side dish. What came out could have fed me for days: a veritable steaming mound that had layers of cheese melted within in. I’d gladly be a peasant to eat this every day.

Sarmale served with mămăligă, sour cream and a chilli pepper

Sarmale: I am no stranger to cabbage rolls. In Greek cooking we have lahanodolmathes which are delicous cabbage wrapped parcels of rice and meat, cooked and doused in an avgolemono (egg and lemon) sauce. So the bar for me is set very high (especially if it’s yiayia’s lahanodolmathes we’re taking about), but I’m always eager to try a variation.

Even supermarket sarmale were tasty

Sarmale are different in that they use sour cabbage rather than fresh cabbage, smoked meat, and are covered in a tomato sauce. So the end result has a completely different flavour to what I’m used to but I really enjoyed the sourness and the smoky flavours. Apart from eating this in a restaurant I also tried the supermarket version which was so good (and so cheap) it became my train snack of choice.

So many delicious baked treats at every turn

Baked treats: I am incapable of walking past a bakery or street food stand without stopping to stare, salivate and more often than not, buy something on display. If I spy something I’ve never tried before then that’s grounds for immediate purchase. Even if I’ve just eaten.

My freezing hands hold an apple filled pastry

There are hole-in-the-wall bakeries dotted all over the towns of Transylvania and each one had a slightly different offering so I tried my fair share of pastries, cakes and other doughy creations. Some were disappointing, either bland or not as fresh as I’d hoped given I could see the oven working overtime in the background.

A giant pocket of fried dough stuffed with salty cheese

A giant pocket of fried dough stuffed with cheese

My favourite was from the town of Sibiu – a giant piece of crescent shaped dough, filled with salty cheese and deep fried. At 2 lei a pop (that’s less than €0.50) it was practically a meal, albeit not a particularly healthy one.

Baklava made with chocolate and soaked in chocolate syrup

Baklava. If ever a food had an identity crisis this would have to be it. The Greeks claim to have invented it. The Turks swear it’s theirs. The Armenians perfected it. No it was the Lebanese.

Whatever. As long as I can eat it I’m happy. There’s plenty of it around in Romania and what excited me most was the not-very-traditional-but-genius chocolate version.

Chocolate baklava. Traditional? No. Delicious? Oh yes

I also spotted this years ago in Istanbul but have never seen it elsewhere. A bastardisation for sure but the combination of filo pastry, nuts and chocolate syrup was fantastic.

Papanași – Romanian doughnuts with sour cream and tart berry jam

Papanași: Every cuisine seems to have a variation on fried sweet dough (loukoumades, beignets, kleina, churros…) and I’m yet to find a variation I haven’t loved. Papanași are Romanian doughnuts made from a mixture of sweet cheese, eggs and semolina, fried and served with sour cream and fruit syrup or jam. Very heavy but very delicious. They are a popular dessert in restaurants but I would not recommend eating this in conjunction with mămăligă unless you have been fasting for three days.

Kürtőskalács from its true home in Transylvania

Kürtőskalács get an honourary mention even though they featured in their own post recently. They originate from Transylvania which was of course part of Hungary until 1918, so both the Hungarians and the Romanians lay claim to this unique pastry. After eating my weight of them in Hungary I thought it only fair to try one in its original home. It was more or less the same in looks, size and preparation. I chose walnut as I hadn’t seen this option elsewhere.

Is it just me who ends up with an uncooked inner layer in their kürtőskalács?

Why do I always end up with an uncooked inner layer in my kürtőskalács?

It was beautifully caramelised on the outside but once again had an uncooked layer on the inside. I’m beginning to wonder if this style of cooking over coals ever allows the kürtőskalács to cook through? This is keeping me up at night!

Has anyone else experienced Romanian food, either in Romania or elsewhere?

Raclette – the heart stopping cheese

Posted on November 22, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

Raclette. The word drips off the palate as beautifully as the cheese melts.

I don’t need to convince anyone about the merits of melted cheese. But once you’ve discovered raclette you´ll never look at melted cheese in the same way again.

A wheel of raclette cheese

Raclette is an aromatic, semi-firm cow´s milk cheese from Switzerland, usually fashioned into 6kg wheels.

Legend has it that Swiss farmers from the Valais canton set up camp one night and some bits of cheese they’d left on rocks near the fire melted. They scraped the cheese off and discovered it was delicious. Raclette (from the French racler meaning ´to scrape´) was born.

Raclette from Borough Markets in London

Raclette is now one of Switzerland´s most cherished national dishes, vying only with distant relative fondue for cheesy supremacy.

You can smell the raclette at Borough Market from a mile away

The modern way of cooking raclette doesn´t involve any rocks. When produced on a large scale, like at Borough Market in London, half wheels of raclette are heated from above by a special machine, then scraped onto small boiled potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and charcuterie.

Raclette slices melt in small pans under the hot plate

The electric home kits are pretty nifty too. They include small pans in which to melt individual slabs of raclette, and a hot plate for cooking bacon, sausages and anything else you fancy.

The Swiss are masters at DIY raclette

I was lucky enough to have raclette with my friends Michael and Karin in Zurich and they really pulled out all the stops. Once individual raclette slices were cooked to our liking, we simply poured the melting goodness on top of potatoes, mushrooms, marinated artichokes, sausages, bacon and other tasty accoutrements.

Melted raclette ready to be poured over the food on my plate

A crisp white wine is the perfect accompaniment to cut through the creaminess of the cheese. Kirsch, cherry flavoured brandy, is also a popular match and comes from the same region that raclette originated.

Has anyone experienced a fabulous raclette outside of Switzerland?

5 fun ways to get fit in London

Posted on November 19, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

This post isn’t technically about food. But the more I exercise the more I can eat, right?

And in fact I do occasionally take a break from eating to exercise. I´m a big fan of running, especially when I travel as it’s a great way to see more of the place you´re in and all you need is a pair of trainers.

When I´m in London though, I like to mix things up a little and it´s not hard because a new fitness craze seems to launch every other week. Here are some of the most original and fun ways I like to sweat it all out.

Learn how to move like the master

Michael Jackson dance class

You have to love a dance studio that offers classes like Cheerleading and Waacking in its timetable.

But the class I´ve always loved at the Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden is the one dedicated to the greatest pop star of our time. Run by the super taletented Anthony King , it’s an hour of pure poptastic MJ choreography to a selection of his classic tracks.

Anthony King dances like he is MJ!

The class is a combination of street, commercial pop and modern jazz… with plenty of crotch thrusting. £11 for the baddest dance workout around.

Anna the Hulagan

Hula Fit

Who would you expect to be running a hula hoop class? Why Anna the Hulagan of course! She´s been at the forefront of the hoop scene for years (that´s right, there´s a scene) and it shows. I´ve never seen such toned abs before.

Hula hooping warm up

Hula Fit classes emphasise toning and coordination and use special weighted hoops. Two kilos doesn’t feel like much to start with but your middle will be aching by the end of the one hour class (and possibly be covered in bruises like mine was).

It’s fun and fast paced, a mix of cardio routines and core abdominal work, all to a bouncing playlist. If you´ve got the hips, they´ve got the hoops…. £6 in advance or £8 drop in.

Stroll through London on your skates

The Sunday Stroll

I was innocently cycling through the back streets of Chelsea one day when suddenly a flock of roller skaters (hundreds of them!) appeared from nowhere and thundered past me, followed by a guy with a boombox playing funky tunes. What the… ??

Turns out this is a regular ritual known as The Sunday Stroll – a weekly marshalled street skate in Central London. It starts in Hyde Park at 2pm every Sunday and the route changes each week. It´s open to all skaters who can stop, turn and control their speed on hills, which unfortunately does not include me.

Even Santa gets in on the skating action

It´s free and run by volunteers and I aspire to one day give it a crack. If I´m good enough by Christmas I will definitely join the London Santa Skate (but don´t hold your breath!).

Anything goes at roller disco

Roller Disco

While my limited roller skating skills are not quite ready for the streets of London, they are good enough for my all-time favourite London activity… roller disco! You have to hand it to London for having a dedicated Roller Disco, which is tucked down an alley in Vauxhall and open Thursday to Saturday nights.

There are two inter-connected skating rooms so you can switch between funky disco tunes and deep house. The surrounding area is for drinking and lounging when you need to take a breather. It´s so retro kitsch you´ll feel like an extra in Boogie Nights.

Remember that roller disco is always best undertaken while wearing an afro and hot pants… or at least spangly tights, leg warmers and sequins. £10 -£15 which includes skate hire.

GrooveCycle

Imagine a spin class on speed. With dance music, hand weights and strobe lights.

That´s GrooveCycle, a ´dance-cycle session´ that will leave you weak at the knees. Each routine is choreographed to a specific dance track and keeps your entire body moving, all while sitting on a bike in Europe´s largest spin room (100 bikes!) at Reebok Sports Club in Canary Wharf.

A Halloween-themed GrooveCycle session

I have my dear friend Emily to thank for introducing me to this unsuspecting form of torture. Every time I go my thighs swear I´ll never return but I always go back for more. I did love the Halloween themed class though, lots of spooky tracks and witches hats to keep us distracted! £10 a class.

Do you know of any other fun ways to get fit in London or any other city for that matter?

Hungarian Kürtőskalács

Posted on November 15, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

A Hungarian kürtőskalács

Kürtőskalács

Not the easiest word to pronounce. The literal translation of ´chimney cake´ is a little easier on the palate.

These quirky cakes were created in the 15^th century by Hungarians living in the Szeklerland region. This historic area is in the centre of present day Romania and still heavily populated by Hungarians, so both countries lay claim to this unique pastry.

Freshly cooked kürtőskalács

Kürtőskalács are a popular street food snack in Hungary and a mainstay of festivals. The word is getting out and anyone from Sydney will probably be familiar with the chain Kürtősh which also sells these beauties.

Kürtőskalács Festival in Budapest

Kürtőskalács are so revered in Hungary that they get their very own festival which travels around to the major cities. I thought I was dreaming when fellow kürtőskalác aficianado Neven and I stumbled across the festival in Budapest one sunny Saturday.

Vajdahunyad Castle, Budapest

The festival was held at the stunningly beautiful City Park, in front of the Vajdahunyad Castle which was designed to look like a Transylvanian gothic castle.

Lines for a kürtőskalács stretched across the park

It was the queues I spotted first. Despite there being at least eight individual stands selling kürtőskalács, the line for each was at least 100 strong.

We were in our queue for 90 minutes! I don’t think I´ve even waited that long for a baked good.

It did give me plenty of time to observe the production process though. Each one is handmade, taking at least ten minutes from start to finish and requires dexterity and patience.

Dough is wrapped around a cylindrical wooden mould

A soft dough made from flour, milk, yeast, sugar, eggs and butter is rolled out and cut into wide strips. The strips are then wrapped around a cylindrical mould in an overlapping spiral motion. The wooden mould has been brushed with butter to keep the dough from sticking.

Kürtőskalács are spit roasted over the coal fire

The pastry is brushed with more butter, rolled in sugar and placed on a rotisserie to cook above charcoal cinders.

Pimp up your kürtőskalács with cinnamon, nuts, coconut or vanilla sugar

Each kürtőskalács takes around five minutes to cook through and achieve a glossy, caramelised crust. Once cooked to perfection, it will be finished off with your topping of choice; cinnamon, nuts, coconut or vanilla sugar. I´m always torn between cinnamon and nuts, both work beautifully with the pastry.

Was this one worth the wait? I was a little disappointed to be honest. Due to the massive queues, the staff (understandably) were rushing the cooking process so ours was perfectly crisp on the outside but doughy and verging on uncooked on the inside. I basically stripped away the uncooked inner layer to focus on the outside layer and I was happy.

The entire festival had a wonderful convivial feel and under every tree in the park was a family or group of friends devouring a kürtőskalács or two between them, tearing each one apart strip by strip.

It was also the day of the Budapest Marathon so a couple of enthusiastic runners demonstrated just how how much they love these prized local treats by dressing in kürtőskalács costumes.

Has anyone tried a kürtőskalács outside of Hungary?

7 Finnish foods that blew me away

Posted on November 12, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

Open sandwich with crayfish and fish roe

I had no expectations about Finnish food before I touched down in Helsinki. I craved seafood, I had my fingers crossed for cloudberries, but that was about it.

So it was a wonderful surprise to discover that this unassuming country has plenty of culinary highlights. Jacques Chirac had no idea what he was talking about when he declared that ˝Finland (is) the country with the worst food.˝

There is a refreshing simplicity in traditional Finnish food (maybe that’s why Chirac baulked) which is due largely to the reliance on what can be found in the forest and ocean. The cuisine has also been influenced by Germany, Russia and Sweden over time, so you might recognise a dish or ingredient here and there.

Kauppatori market hall beside Helsinki harbour

The Finns have a fantastic market culture and Helsinki in particular has some brilliant market halls including Hakaniemi and the recently renovated Kauppatori, positioned right next to Helsinki’s bustling harbour.

If you find yourself in this northern neck of the woods then promise me you will try the following…

Lightly battered and fried vendance

Vendance (muikku)
These tiny fish are a traditional summertime delicacy, especially popular at markets during summer. Similar to whitebait, the fish are lightly breaded and fried, then eaten whole with garlic sauce or lemon. The mild umami flavour and crunchy texture were sensational and they were the perfect snack to enjoy on the boat over to the Suomenlinna fortress.

Yep, that’s Rudolph in a can

Reindeer (poro)
There is a long tradition of hunting in Finland, focusing on reindeer, moose and bear. Put those warm and fuzzy childhood memories of Rudolph aside right now because you will be seeing him everywhere; in kebabs, as thick steaks, cold smoked, even canned. He’ll be sitting right next to the canned bear.

Reindeer kebab anyone?

Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen…

Reindeer meat has a rich gamey flavour, very similar to venison, and is very lean. The slices of cured reindeer were very tasty but I didn’t go as far as buying reindeer in a can.

100% bear meat. Ingredients: bear meat 90%. Go figure.

I was curious about the canned bear meat, but with a price tag of €20 for a tiny can, I decided my money could be better spent elsewhere… like on these babies! Read More

The Purple Collection

Posted on November 8, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

Image by Pantone

It was inevitable wasn´t it? Yes, my friends are nodding. For I am obsessed with this colour.

But I do not stand alone. Pantone, the absolute authority on colour, declared the 2014 Colour of the Year to be purple. Well Radiant Orchid to be precise. Number 18-3224 if you want to be really precise.

Image by Pantone

They even whipped up this cute illustration for Halloween. Seems I˙m not the only one campaigning to rebrand all major festivals in a purple hue.

In the spirit of celebrating this fabulous colour I bring you my Purple Collection.

Purple sweet potato and chestnut tart

Purple sweet potato and chestnut tart, Hong Kong: Tell me this isn´t the most stunning little pastry that you´ve ever seen! The fact that it didn´t taste amazing was in no way a determent for me. It wasn´t sweet enough for my palate and I never have fully embraced the concept of root vegetables taking a starring role in desserts. Didn’t stop me from eating one a day though.

Aubergine, Hong Kong and London: this is an obvious addition to the list, perhaps too obvious. But the calibre of produce at the Graham Street and Borough markets respectively is top notch, and the colours so luminous they had to make the list. I found myself cradling these beauties like newborns.

Purple potatoes, inside and out

Purple potatoes, Berlin: A delightful discovery for me this year was the Turkish market in Kreuzberg where I had some of the best Turkish food I´ve ever eaten (and that includes in Turkey). Amongst the gozleme stands and fresh produce was an unassuming crate filled with purple potatoes that I almost walked straight by because their skins were not dissimilar from ordinary potatoes. But one look at the sign and a sliced up specimen spoke the truth. Unfortunately I didn’t have access to a kitchen on this occasion so didnt´t buy any and I´ve been looking in vain to find them ever since.

Purple flour! Sort of…

Flour, Stockholm. Trust the design saavy Swedes to package up something as generic as flour into a design classic. I am almost wept at the beauty of this display.

Cauliflower is back on the hot list thanks to its new shade

Cauliflower, Stockholm: Thanks to purple varieties, cauliflower is going through a renaissance. No longer languishing on crudité trays and under mounds of melted cheese and breadcrumbs, this underachieving brassica is finally having its (purple) moment in the sun.

Blackberry soup for every occasion

Blackberry soup, Stockholm: My Swedish friend Johan drinks cold blackberry soup every morning and hot blackberry soup when he is sick. He happens to be the fittest person I know so when he told me this I ran to the nearest store to track some down. A super food in super packaging, does it get any better?

You might have noticed that the last three items all came from Stockholm. So keep an eye out on the shelves of Ikea, no doubt this will be next season´s feature colour!

Does anyone have a purple food item to add to my collection?

The Breakfast Club

Posted on November 6, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. Especially if you´re arguing with a nutritionist.

When I am travelling and especially when I am staying with friends abroad, I find that breakfast says a lot about the place I am in and the people I am with.

Here are my favourite breakfast moments from the past few months:

A Full Irish breakfast

The Full Irish – closely related to the Full English, this is the type of heart stopping affair that will safely keep you full ´till dinner. Handy if you´re labouring in the fields all day or as in my case, exploring the Irish countyside. The key elements include bacon, sausages, black pudding, white pudding, sautéed mushrooms, beans, fried potatoes and tomato. All cooked in lots of lovely Irish butter and served with soda bread and a cup of tea. My favourite parts were (vegetarians look away) the respective puddings; black pudding is a made from pork blood, oatmeal, pork fat, onions and spices and white pudding is similar minus the pork blood. It´s the key defining feature of the full Irish breakfast so don’t let your squeamish side deter you!

A fresh ensaïmada from Mallorca

Not just any old breakfast pastry, Mallorca´s ensaïmada is a protected product (up there with Champagne and feta) with a guarantee of origin since 1996, even though it originates from the 17^th century. Flour, water, sugar and pork lard create sheer layers of pastry which are shaped in a coil, baked, sprinkled with powdered sugar and sometimes filled with cream or custard. They are the Balearic answer to croissants, dipped in coffee and enjoyed as the morning meal.

Breakfast spread in Leipzig. Where to start?!

My friends Marc and Kathleen in Leipzig really know how to put on an impressive German breakfast spread. It all starts with bread; lots of it and different varieties. Select a piece and build your breakfast from there. There were several cheeses including camembert and cheddar, various cured meats (even a vegetarian sliced ´meat´), crudités, jams, mustards, hard boiled eggs, homemade pickles, cream cheese, slices of apple cake, fruit and fresh coffee. I tried to be as restrained as my hosts, focusing on one piece of bread and one or two toppings at a time but with that spread it was tough!

Delicios skyr and homemade jam on toast in Iceland

A homemade Icelandic breakfast is not to be missed. I´ve already waxed lyrical about my obsession with skyr and the fact that it appears at every meal. Breakfast is no exception. Add milk or cream or just enjoy this smooth dairy product unadorned. Almost everything at this breakfast table was homemade, including the sweet kleina pastries and the delicious blackberry jam.

The classic French breakfast

Breakfast at a sidewalk café in Paris is as de rigueur as visiting the Louvre. A French breakfast is usually small and perfectly formed – typically a croissant and/or tartine (sliced French bread) with butter and jam, juice and café crème. You can jazz it up with a fried egg or swap your croissant for a pain au raisin. Très chic, just like the French.

What´s your favourite breakfast meal?

Cloudberries are my crack

Posted on November 2, 2014 by thefidgetyfoodie

That is to say this rare Arctic berry has become somewhat of an obsession for me and I´ve spent a disproportionate amount of time and money trying to track it down.

Photo by My Little Norway

These delicate berries, in season for barely three weeks, can only be hand-picked from the swamps of the Northern Skandinavian countries. Such remote and enigmatic locations are often a closely guarded family secret, passed down through generations.

I remember exactly when my obsession with cloudberries began. It was mid-2007 and I began working in London´s Soho, next door to a café called Nordic Bakery. It was a treasure trove of Skandi goods, from piping hot cinnamon buns to gravlax on rye.

This is where I first picked up a jar of cloudberry jam (hjortronsylt) and from the first spoonful I was hooked. At £5 a jar it was an expensive habit (but surely cheaper than crack?), especially when you consider my penchant for eating it straight from the jar.

I dreamt about eating the berries fresh but was never in the right place at the right time. Read More