Holiday Cheer

It's a month since Christmas Day, but we've only just returned home to Sydney from America-- hence this post's title. I hope you had moments of peace and joy with family and friends. Following a pre-holiday celebration with the hubs' parents in Sydney, we spent Christmas in Nashville, Tennessee with a crowd of family. It was the first Christmas we've had in the USA for a couple of years now, and it was a blast to catch up with cousins and relive old family traditions while creating some new ones.

summer Christmas pre-dinner spread in Sydney

One of my family's most treasured culinary traditions is my late paternal great-grandmother's rolls, known as Mamaw's Rolls, and always spoken of with reverence for the patient, kind-hearted woman who made them in her tiny, gas-powered kitchen in rural Louisiana. I've mentioned these before-- impossibly soft, melt in your mouth, yeast rolls-- very difficult to replicate. One of my aunts, however, has mastered her own adaptation, and she gave a demonstration for all of us while we were gathered in Nashville.

my aunt in Nashville teaching the cousins how to make perfect yeast dinner rolls
like our Louisiana great grandmother used to make them

The secret to the rolls' lightness is time: allowing the dough to rise once for a few hours, then again overnight in the fridge (or outside on the porch, if it's cold enough). My aunt has also come to recognize the perfect consistency of the dough, adding flour until in looks and feels just right. She then used half of the dough to make regular dinner rolls, cut with a small drinking glass and placed closely together in round metal trays. She rolled out the other half of the dough into a large rectangle, covered it in a chocolate filling, and rolled the dough into a log to cut cinnamon roll-style sections. These she baked in a large rectangular pyrex, and they were phenomenal!

the kids make Christmas brunch

For the first time ever at our large family holiday gathering in Nashville, the older generation decided that we, the kids (ranging in age from 25-32), could take responsibility for one of the shared meals. Via email we planned to cater for Christmas brunch, sending recipe ideas back and forth across the US and Australia until we had a menu that reflected our various food interests and regional delicacies. Our contribution was cheesymite scrolls, made into a festive Christmas tree shape (idea borrowed from Camille Styles).  I used the recipe here at Aussie blog The Organised Housewife, and they turned out perfectly. The final spread included stewed tomatoes and black eyed peas, cheese grits, honey baked ham, kale chips, cheesymite scrolls, cranberry bread, a seasonal fruit salad, and my uncle's infamous eggnog (like drinking heavily spiked whipped cream, aka heaven).  The parents and grandparents were duly impressed, and decided that the kids can take a more active role in meal planning from now on. Hooray!

old fashioneds back in Texas with the fam

After Nashville we had a wonderful time in Texas staying with family and visiting friends. I soaked up time with my siblings and bestie, loved sipping on pre-dinner Old Fashioneds with my parents, and squeezed the cheeks of friends' new babies. We also ate the top of our wedding cake, even more delicious than it was in 2010 (we haven't yet been in the US together around our anniversary since the day we married!), thanks to my mom's Southern belle ninja freezer-proofing skills.

our wedding cake still delicious after a three year deep freeze

After a killer NYE in downtown San Antonio, I traveled to Chicago for a work conference, then joined the hubs in Los Angeles for another few days of work. Due to the polar vortex and a packed conference schedule, I wasn't able to venture out to see much of Chicago. But I did sneak into the newly opened Eataly to pick up some of their incredible produce and a few organic breakfast items. I ate lunch at the bar of Eataly's pasta restaurant, watching the chefs pull together dozens of fresh pasta dishes simultaneously. The food was fresh and the atmosphere lively-- highly recommend checking out their locations in Chicago or New York City. 

parperdelle with arrabiatta, fresh baked bread, and olive oil at Eataly, Chicago

In Los Angeles we stayed with good friends and enjoyed some homecooked meals with them, leaving a couple of opportunities to grab food out on the town. I had perfectly prepared scallops over pomegranate quinoa and the hubs had spicy fried chicken over maple-glazed waffles at Wood & Vine, a restaurant-bar with a cute al fresco dining area sandwiched between its neighboring high rise buildings.

incredible scallops at Wood & Vine, Los Angeles

The Reel Inn on the Pacific Coast Highway just south of Malibu served up the freshest grilled fish and cajun rice. Eating on their sunny patio looking over the ocean made it feel like we were back in Sydney summer. We also ate more than our share of double fudge cake and german chocolate cake at Doughboys on 3rd Street (famed for their red velvet cake-- but it's full of artificial coloring, no thanks). Their coffee was the best American-style drip coffee I had during my entire stay in the US. Even the meal we had at Wolfgang & Puck in LAX was delicious-- who knew such a stellar mushroom, garlic, and pesto pizza could be found in an airport? 

grilled fish and cajun rice at The Reel Inn, Malibu

It was a fabulous time sharing the holidays with loved ones and eating great food in homes and restaurants across four states. I hope you, too, had a special holiday season. We're adjusting back to Sydney life and soaking up the end of summer here... regular recipe posts to return soon!

end of summer drawing near back in Sydney

Shrimp Laksa

We just had a fantastic week with good friends visiting from Melbourne, soaking up the Sydney sun on various beaches and eating and drinking a little too much at some of our favorite spots. Tonight called for a bit of a detox, something light but vegetable-heavy. I thumbed through some cookbooks and came across a bookmarked recipe in The Best of Bill Granger for Light Laksa. I've been meaning to try it, and the hubs agreed this was just the kind of thing we were after. We changed up the recipe to suit what we had on hand and our preferences, and the result was delicious. Best of all, it came together in about 30 minutes flat.

Shrimp laksa, infused with red curry, coconut, and ginger 

This Malaysian-style soup is not too spicy at all, it's filling and hydrating, and it's chock-full of veggies and protein-rich shrimp. It's the kind of soup that requires a spoon and a fork (or chopsticks). First date food it is not... we'll be washing the placemats tomorrow, and I had to give the table a pretty thorough wipe-down after we splattered soup all over ourselves and the surrounding perimeter of our bowls.

Shrimp laksa full of vegetables: bok choy, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and eggplant
with ginger and mukrat lime leaves

You could easily leave the shrimp out if you're looking for a vegetarian version, or try subbing cubes of firm tofu. Makrut lime leaves are easy to come by in Sydney at our local fruit and veg shop. I'm not sure how accessible they are elsewhere, but ask your grocer if they stock them, as they really are key in bringing all the flavors together. This laksa would be welcome during the icy weather up in the northern half of the world at this time of year, and perfect anytime down in the south. I leave you with warm wishes and the rosy pink tulips our friends left us with before they returned to Melbourne yesterday...

Christmas time = tulip season in Australia

Shrimp Laksa
inspired by The Best of Bill Granger
serves 4

2 cups chopped eggplant
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoon rice bran oil (or other vegetable oil; divided use)
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth

2/3 cup coconut milk 

6 makrut lime leaves (3 whole leaves, and 3 leaves thinly sliced for garnish)
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 bunches baby bok choy
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups prepared thin rice noodles (vermicelli noodles)

To serve:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
lime slices
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
fish sauce (optional)

Heat a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1 teaspoon oil, and add the eggplant and mushrooms. Sauté until softened and eggplant is cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add the red curry paste, and stir around with a spatula until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, ginger, and the three whole lime leaves. Turn the heat up to high, and bring the broth mixture to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to let the flavors infuse.

Add the shrimp and the cooked eggplant and mushrooms to the broth mixture. Continue to simmer until the shrimp turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the baby bok choy and bean sprouts, stirring carefully until the bok choy leaves begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes.

Distribute the prepared rice noodles into four bowls, and ladle the laksa over the noodles. Serve immediately with bowls of brown sugar, lime slices, thinly sliced lime leaves, and fish sauce, allowing everyone to season their laksa to taste. (We found that about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar was plenty; add a couple drops of fish sauce if you think it needs to be saltier; the sliced lime leaves are a must!)

Thanksgiving down under

Happy December, all. I hope all the American folks had wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations, at home or abroad, with family or friends. For the first time since we've lived in Sydney, we had friends visiting during Thanksgiving, so it was a treat to invite them over for a friendsgiving feast. Each of us contributed a family recipe, and the results were delicious. 

Thanksgiving dinner 2013: a delicious combination of family recipes
from friends visiting Sydney

Besides turkey baked with a paprika dry rub, my mom's cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, roasted brussels sprouts with lemon mustard parsley dressing (from the great White on Rice Couple blog), and my friend's great-grandmother's sweet potatoes topped with brown sugar-pecan streusel, we also had some mouth-watering desserts. 

chocolate chip pecan pie, mini and uber-mini pumpkin pies, vanilla bean whipped cream

Instead of one big pumpkin pie, I made a few personal servings in 4-ounce le cruset dishes and mini-pie-shots in espresso mugs-- these topped by a dollop of my friend's vanilla whipped cream were just right... paired slices of her boyfriend's homemade chocolate chip pecan pie (sans corn syrup!).  

gooey chocolate chip pecan pie (no corn syrup here!),
and an espresso-sized shot of pumpkin pie with vanilla bean whipped cream

More importantly than enjoying some fantastic food, however, we all learned a little more about each other through the shared family recipes, which sparked conversations about quirky traditions and stories from Thanksgiving holidays past. I haven't spent Thanksgiving with my family in Texas in nine years, but have had some great meals with friends in England and Australia every year abroad. This year might have been one of my favorites. 

Thankful for friends and family, and the incredible people I've been able to meet (and food I've been able to eat!) in my expat travels over the last decade. And thankful for you for stopping by-- may you continuously find things for which you are thankful wherever life takes you.