Herman the German fruit cake and Sherman the chocolate brownie recipe

Barossa valley is known to be one of the early places that German settlers have ventured into (aside from Hunter Valley in NSW) and so, it's not a surprise that German heritage runs through the veins of some locals here. We are fortunate to have bakeries like Apex that still bake their goods in a traditional oven and butchers that houses a good variety of traditional German sausages.

I may have been to Germany in the past but that memory is a vaguely faint to me and so, living in the Barossa gave me an interesting opportunity to have a teaser of what to expect from the winner of FIFA 2014. When I first tasted Herman, I thought it was one of the best cakes I have tasted so far which prompted me to grab a box of it and get straight into the recipe, in an attempt to recreate this delicacy.

Although I did not start making Herman myself, here's the recipe for making the starter. It is a lengthy waiting process but it is well worth it. Trust me;)

Herman the German starter mix ingredients:
5oz plain flour
8 oz caster sugar
1 packet of active dry yeast
Half a pint of warm milk
2 fl oz of warm water

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water for 10 minutes before slowly mixing in the flour and sugar
2. Slowly stir in the warm milk. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a cool place for 1 day.

The next 10 days will be the waiting time:
Day 1- 3: stir well
Day 4: Add 1 cup of plain flour, sugar and milk each. Stir well
Day 5 -  8: Stir well
Day 9: Add 1 cup of plain flour, sugar and milk each. Stir well and divide into 4 equal portions (pass this on to someone!)

* I have shortened the days to 8 days as I got impatient and I halved the ingredients added for day 9. I NEED to bake the cake hehe.

Cake ingredients (for 2 round cake tins)
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of plain flour
Half tsp salt
2/3 cups of cooking oil (could substitute with melted butter)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 granny smith apples/ pears, chopped into smaller chunks
1 cup raisins (used my leftover soaked raisin mix as seen here)
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 portion of Herman starter mix

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix cake ingredients together in a bowl and pour into a lined cake tin. Pour your topping mix over the top (or add a crumble mix if you like) and bake at 160C for 1 hour or until done.

Verdict: loved every bit of it and I thought that using leftover raisin mix that had been soaked for at least 6 months in rum made the cake a lil more fragrant. Herman mix already had a nice boozy aroma and I think its best served warm:)

And because I had "adopted" another box of Herman as nobody wanted it, let's call it Sherman and make him into a chocolate cake. Have read that Herman is a very forgiving type of cake to bake and can be used to create any cake varieties that you  can imagine:)

Chocolate Sherman cake ingredients (makes 2 round cake tins or 1 long rectangle brownie tin):
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp kahlua (or vanilla if you prefer a non boozy option - I just had some in the fridge!:)
1 cup mix of dark and white chocolate chunks
1.5 cups of Herman starter mix

Mix everything together and pour into your lined baking tins. Bake at 160C for about 1 hour or until it appears almost done.

*as this is akin to a brownie recipe, I decided to bake it until it is about 90% done and left it to cool in the oven. I like my brownies to have a slightly fudge-y cake texture.

Do give this a try and let me know how you went. I am sure you won't be disappointed:)

Artisans of Barossa: Stage 2 Tour de France menu

This was THE event that may or may not happen in the future and noting that it is a French inspired food menu at a scenic spot in the Barossa, the sister and I jumped straight into bookings. Artisans of Barossa is a little spot that showcases a few individual winemakers under one roof and quite possibly, some of the wines may not be available in your local bottle shop.

I love the view from the cellar door, especially on a sunny bright day where one could easily see the majestic greenery and vineyards of the Barossa. Not much to see at night but still easy to fall in love with the modern interior that couples well with the relaxed warmth that greets you upon entry.

Back to this dinner's story, it is held in conjunction with the Tour de France event and at $40 for an appetizer, two mains and a dessert, surely we can't say no. Both of us eat a healthy portion of food (no more, no less) so be warned if you are expecting a big, fine dining feast. Remember, you are not paying exorbitant prices.

Reservations are done online and you can definitely treat yourself to a glass or bottle of wine at the venue. Reds and whites are both available. The concept of this dinner is akin a long lunch table where you basically sit with people you may not know and start practicing your socializing skills. So let's start with our Stage 2 Dijon a Orleans menu!

Rillettes de Lapin ~ rabbit and pork rillettes served with a bit of chutney on the side. We were a little confused as to whether this would be served at our table but it seemed that it was placed at the front counter, probably as an ice breaker:) A little messy to eat but we managed not to make a mess!

Truite Saumonee au Beurre Blanc ~ salmon trout with white wine and shallot butter sauce served with potatoes. Yummo! My cut of salmon was very moist and tasted fantastic with the butter sauce. As you can see, this piece of salmon is a decent portion size.

On a side note, staff were constantly refilling our table's bowls with slices of baguette bread. Most of us took a few pieces to lap up the remainder sauce on our plate.

Poulet Saute aux Champignons ~ chicken sauteed with fresh mushrooms and served with slices of baked potatoes. I had two and a half serves of this, mainly because everyone else was too filled from the previous main and I would hate to see food get wasted! The mushroom sauce was not gluggy and overly creamy but rather, a lighter accompaniment to the chicken. Some of the other guests found the chicken meat a tad dry although I thought mine was done well:)

Tarte Tatin ~ caramelised upside down apple tart. Can't claim to be French with a tart tatin. The apple pieces were compacted pretty well prior to getting baked. Not overly tart nor sweet and I found it to be the right size for a dessert. Would have liked more but have to admit that sugar is something I need to cut back on;)

Overall, it was a good dining experience that is so worth every penny and I highly recommend going for the remainder two stages if you have not already booked yourself in! Stage 4 looks tempting so you may see an overzealous camera clicking character there;)

Nosh, Tanunda

"Go to Nosh for a good brekkie", said a local who I dined with over a long table dinner event (more details to come). I have passed Nosh numerous times before but that thought never did struck me. Perhaps the exterior did not project the image that I was surprised to get once I stepped into this little cafe. It was a lot more spacious and cozier than expected.

The entire place was brightly lit with a loud orange colour wall and lots of reading materials to browse thru whilst waiting for your meal to arrive. Staff were extremely friendly and at 9am, I was pleased to see a good turnout of locals here (a sign that a place is worth the morning wake up call!).

Our coffee was good. I am no caffeine connoisseur but I do know a good one from a meh one. The cups of coffee that we got had a strong coffee bean aroma and immediately woke us up from our morning slumber.

Apex panini bread with ham and egg ~ a simple panini done well. Thick layers of ham were just overflowing with every bite and although a tad messy, it was good:) Apex bakery do produce some of the best breads that I have tasted thus far and it's no surprise that most cafes use their products. For more Apex bakery varieties such as traditional German cakes to pies, Apex is opened every day except for Sundays but be sure to rock up early or be disappointed because they do sell out fast!

Waffles with ice cream, fruit and maple syrup ~ reminiscing the past I was when the kitchen staff brought this out. I had the honour of drizzling the waffles with the maple syrup, just like those good ol' A&W days in Malaysia. I was a bit disappointed with the waffles as it was not as fresh as I would have liked. On the flipside, having lots of ice cream and fruit compensated for this fact and that smile is still plastered on my face.

A word of advice? Listen to the locals. They take their food (and wine) seriously. Gotta love the chatty and friendly community here!:)

 

Apex bakery and Keils Fine Food and Coffee, Tanunda South Australia

I have been in the Barossa for some time now and sadly enough, I hardly explore places near my vicinity. With a work roster revision, I finally have the advantage to move around. First up would be a place that I have heard so much about but did not have the opportunity to visit. Apex bakery, I am here to get my hands on your baked goodies:)

Apex prides itself for it's oven which had been used to baked bread since 1924. The bakery still uses the same technique in kneading and baking their bread, no shortcuts at all! Lots of love put into every item that the baker places on his hands.

On the flipside, have arrived past the lunch hour and not much is left on the counter except for a few loaves of baked bread, cakes and a small section dedicated to keeping their pies warmed. Never mind, at least there is still something to savour! I was tempted to purchase a loaf of their bread for sampling purposes (price wise, it costs just as much as manufactured bread so why compromise on quality?).

Quiche ~ I love a good quiche and this was no exception. The pastry was a standout as it was not dripping in oil and did not leave that awkward greasy feeling on the lips. On a cold, windy day, I could not think of anything better.

Meat pie with minced meat ~ I like pies that pack a punch of robust flavour. This one had a strong beef taste and I loved every bite of this one. If only it came in a bigger size, I could easily finish off three of these pies. Yums!

After a few bites at Apex, we still needed something substantial to fill us up for lunch and so, being in Tanunda, we headed to Keils Fine Food and Coffee. The staff are always very informative here. If you have to wait or if they can't deliver food at their expected standards, they will let you know. They ran out of roast chicken that day and rather than share the chicken meat between two dishes, they insisted that we choose one or the other.

Chicken caesar salad ~ were we glad that they did not scrimp on the chicken meat. For $15.5, this tastes so much better than some of the ones I find down in Adelaide and the portion size is very generous. Everything on this plate was generously provided and I would happily order this again in the future.

Croissant with ham and cheese ~ pastry was fresh and it tasted good. Not something I couldn't prepare at home but for the convenience, why not?:)

1918 Bistro & Grill Restaurant Tanunda

Living in the Barossa has its perks. Aside from the friendly community and pretty season transition colours, Barossa valley is also notoriously known for its food and wine. Over the last few years, the Barossa had certainly seen many types of restaurants flourish and this had attracted tourists to the valley which then further propels this economical cycle.

I have been to 1918 Bistro and Grill once in the past for a special occasion and once again, popped over for dinner on a last minute note but thankfully, the waiting staff were able to accommodate us. We started off with freshly baked bread with parmesan infused olive oil and olives. The bread was fluffy and still fresh despite us having it late at night and dipping it into the olive oil was a treat.

Beef carpaccio with pickled radish, capers, crispy onion rings, mustard aioli and cornichons ~ All the fuss about carpaccio dishes have certainly caught our attention and so, we could not pass the opportunity to try these slices of meat for the first time. I found it very refreshing and there is a good balance of acidity from the pickles that marry well with the mild aioli taste. Lots of crunch happening on the plate and overall, it was a superb entree to start us off.

Parsnip soup with pancetta crumbs ~ I very rarely order soup at a restaurant but how could I not when it's an uncommon type of soup? The soup was creamy, rich and very flavoursome; pancetta crumbs gave it a good kick of salt and texture. Very nice and portion wise, it was big enough for me:)

Since I am being adventurous that night, why not add a bottle of pear cider to my menu? Slightly alcoholic but has a nice sweetness to it.

Seafood bouillabaisse ~ I always shy away from ordering seafood at any restaurants, purely because I am wry that the portion size would disappoint. 1918 proved me wrong by utilizing fresh mussels, prawns, scallops and squid in their seafood stock and topped everything well with a good bundle of salad and a side of grilled bread. I absolutely loved this creation not only for the generousity in portion but also the wonderful flavours in every little morsel. A must try although it may be a once-off kind of weekly/ daily special.

Roasted baby potatoes with rosemary and garlic ~ I like a bit of potatoes with my meals, especially potato pieces that have a crisp outer layer and a fluffy interior. Very nice.

Baby cos salad with pancetta, boiled egg and anchovy dressing ~ this reminded me of a traditional Caesar salad but somewhat more refined. Generous shaving of parmesan cheese atop a bed of fresh cos salad leaves, crispy pancetta and crumbled egg pieces. If only I could have this every day.

Roasted pork belly with caramelized onion, white pudding, apple and cabbage salad ~ The pork belly had a crispy skin attached and a very moist meat layer that oozes with juice when sliced into. The caramelized onion goes perfectly well with the pork flesh and having a side of well dressed salad was a bonus. Loved this dish and as you can see, generous portions wins hands down.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my dining experience here last weekend. Friendly and professional service backed by delicious food prepared by the kitchen staff. Would be happy to drop by again:)

Pizza dough recipe and guest hosting ideas

For New Year Eve, I wanted something simple and quick to whip up as I clock off from work at 6pm and am expecting guests to arrive at about 8.00pm. At the same time, my hands were itching to bake something fresh from the oven and have little bits of Barossa embedded in it. I found this pizza dough recipe from Jamie Oliver and have to admit, it is a winner. Super simple and delicious with just about any topping you can dream of.

Ingredients:
1kg strong flour
1 tbsp sea salt
14g dried yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
650ml lukewarm water

Combine yeast, sugar and water in a bowl and allow the yeast to foam, which takes about 5 minutes. Once that happens, slowly mix the yeast concoction to the flour and knead dough by continuously rolling backward and forward until it comes together. This process takes about 10 minutes and you want to achieve a nice smooth, elastic dough texture.

Allow to rest in a warm spot for 45 minutes. Divide dough into 4 sections and allow to rest for another 15 minutes.

Prepare your toppings.

Roll dough out to about 3cm thickness and place on a baking pan that has been oiled and floured (prevents dough from sticking). Butter your favourite tomato or alfredo sauce generously on the dough and spread your toppings evenly before adding a tad bit of cheese to finish it off.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200C and voila, dinner is served!

I opted for Mount Pleasant's gourmet sausages, smoked ham, roast beef and used mushroom sauce as a base.

Had my tomatoes and carrots ready for a quick salad, used the mushrooms in the pizza because I loveeee mushrooms.

A bit of hot salami for a spicy treat.

Before entering the oven... was getting excited! I have used boccocino cheese but you can go for mozarella, cheddar, feta etc !

It was so so good and definitely enough for the 3 of us! I think wine and pizza go pretty well together, don't you?

For desserts, we had chocolates,  strawberries and continued to sip our Sevenhill wine from Clare Valley. What a great way to end 2013 and begin 2014!

The next morning, we could not be bothered to wait for brunch and thankfully, the sister brought over a cheese platter with cheddar, brie, parsley cheese and another cheese variation that I cannot remember now. I provided the rockmelon for that extra bit of fiber, freshness and sweetness along with the cheese and onion kabana for some meaty flavours. Delicious!!