Making spaetzle...

Ready to eat - tossed in butter, sauteed garlic, onion, herbs and parmesan.
Step 7: Cooling cooked spaetzle in bowl of warm water...
Step 6: Spaetzle are floating and puffed - ready to remove...
Step 5: Spaetzle are beginning to rise to the surface...
Step 4: Pushing dough through spaetzle maker...
Step 3: Ready to poach dough
Step 2: Finished dough...
Step 1: Adding egg and water to flour...


Following up on my post about the Konstanz nachtmarkt, here's my meisterklasse for making spaetzle.

Ingredients [will make enough to feed 4]

500g flour

5-6 eggs [depending on size]

1 teaspoon of salt

100-200 ml of cold water

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl

2. Add beaten eggs and some of the water [too much may make the dough too thin]

3. Stir or beat using an electric mixer [use dough hooks] until dough becomes smooth and has a light texture. It should not appear too thick or thin. To test, place a small amount of the dough into the spaetzle maker or colander - when the consistency is correct the dough will appear as little dough drops on the underside. If the dough runs through it's too thin. Adjust consistency with additional water or flour if needed.

4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.

5. Rinse spaetzle maker or colander in cold water and place over the pot. Put a portion of dough into the maker/colander and push it through the holes using a scraping motion. A dough scraper is the perfect utensil for this.

6. The spaetzle are ready to remove when they have risen to the surface and are appear puffed. Remove using a slotted spoon or skimmer and place in a bowl of warm water for a short time and then into a colander to drain.

7. The spaetzle are now ready to finish and serve. There are many options to choose from, some more involved than others, but I prefer the simple approach as I like the spaetzle to be the star of the show. The spaetzle in this picture was tossed through onion, garlic and fresh herbs that had been sauteed in butter and finished with parmesan.

Some other delicious ideas are mushrooms; spinach; Gruyere topped with a fried egg; sauerkraut, speck and sausage. The possibilities are endless as the versatile spaetzle makes the perfect accompaniment for other dishes such as lentils, stews and meat courses.

I've been told that spaetzle freezes well but I've never had the chance to try it because we never seem to have any left over!

A slice of heaven...

I don't stop when I'm in Tokyo. So I save my visit to Kanda Yabu Soba when I need a quiet day, and some distance from the fast pace of Tokyo. It's a little piece of serenity in Kanda Awajicho, Chiyoda-ku; adjacent to the busy district of Akihibara [Electric Town] and somewhat of a bizarre contrast.

Kanda Yabu Soba first opened it's doors in 1880 and has been serving it's "seiro" style soba noodles [firm noodles made from 10 parts buckwheat flour to one part wheat flour] ever since. I still feel stunned every time I visit, by the beautiful traditional building and gardens. The peaceful atmosphere begins even before you pass through the front gate.

Once your order has been placed, it is chanted/sung to the kitchen by the person at the front counter and Tsukidashi is bought to the table. I get the impression that some things haven't changed over the years. Tsukidashi is a little dish that's served with sake or beer. For this course, Kanda Yaku Soba serve their own thick, dark, salty homemade miso paste which is absolutely delicious and excellent with cold beer.

Dr H ordered one of his favourites: soba in a broth with mushrooms and topped daikon, nori and herbs. He ordered thinly sliced roast wild duck as a side dish and served with a hot mustard. I ordered soba in a broth with green onions and a side of 2 types of tofu. Everything was fresh and tasted wonderful.

This course was accompanied by Soba-yu [the water in which the soba is cooked] and is considered to be rich in minerals and good for your health. It is served in a teapot and can be drunk or added to Soba-tsuyu [the dipping sauce for cold soba] to make a soup, once the cold soba is eaten. Soba-yu has a lovely sort of sweet, nutty flavour and makes a great accompaniment to the food.

For the final course we ordered buckwheat cake to share. Great buckwheat flavour and not too sweet.

We sat in the tatami room, with a view to the garden, on this particular day but table seating is also available. The staff and service are wonderful - I always feel so spoiled. Foreign visitors are very well cared for. Some English is spoken and English menus are available. Absolutely unmissable.

Where:
2-10 Kanda Awajicyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

When: 11.30am-8.00pm

Phone :03 3251 0287

http://www.norenkai.net/english/shop/yabusoba/index.html

Le Fumoir...

On this particularly cold day in Paris, the cosy atmosphere of Le Fumoir was even more appreciated. Exhausted after my journey along the treacherous footpaths covered in black ice, I was in the mood to be spoiled with great service and delicious food.

The truffle risotto was the best that I've eaten - creamy, flavoursome and a generous serving of truffle shavings. Dr H's scallops were perfectly cooked and served on caremalised turnip slices. The finishing touch was a mousse-like celeriac cream. Great flavours.

The desserts were equally impressive. The chocolate pot was served with orange madelines and the grilled pineapple was served with a syrup and creamed rice/pudding. This was all topped off with excellent coffee. A lovely way to catch up with our friend Vincenzo and escape the freeze!

Where:
6 rue de l’amiral Coligny 75001 Paris [the street that runs along the back of the Louvre]

tel: 01 42 92 0 024
http://satellite-productions.fr/Satellite/Le_Fumoir.html

Herve's tart...

Our friend Herve made this delicious creamy cheese savoury tart one night for dinner when we were visiting him and his wife Sophie and son Baptiste at their apartment in Montparnasse, Paris. It was served with a great leafy salad and followed by an evil chocolate delight from Maison Du Chocolat. A very wonderful night [sigh]...

Hong Kong street food....

I have a thing for food from street stalls, particularly in Asia. Above are radish cakes on the hot plate, which I ate with chili. Crispy and golden on the outside, smooth and creamy in the middle.

Underneath the lid are pork dumplings, their tops being steamed while the bottoms are turning brown. Luckily for us the stall was not far from our hotel in Kowloon. Nice and handy! They also served an extensive range of freshly squeezed and blended juices.

The other photo is a kind of waffle. It was great to watch them being made as we waited in the long line. When ready the waffle was removed from the iron, bent gently to fit into the paper bag and handed to you - crispy, hot and ready to eat.

The real thing...

Raishuken, in Asakusa, has been serving authentic ramen for nearly 50 years. The quality is great, the servings are large and the prices are cheap.

The omori [pictured] is a fresh, handmade wavy noodle in a delicious soy braised broth. The texture of the noodle was tender with a wonderful light, texture. Dr H said the pork was beautifully tender and flavoursome. The steamed dumplings, a kind gift from the owner, are filled with a starchy vegetable and served with soy poured over the top and a hot mustard. Delectable and nearly more than we could eat.

The restaurant itself is a small room with echoes of the 50's. One wall [pictured] is devoted to caricatures and drawings. Sadly I couldn't read the script but I assume they are from grateful customers, some more notable perhaps than others.

The staff are very friendly and welcoming. English is not spoken and the menu is in Japanese but, if this is a problem, just ask for ramen and I'm sure the staff will do their best to look after you.

Where:

Taito-Ku, Nishi-Asakusa 2-26-3 [PH: 3844 7409]

On the subway, take the Ginza or Asakusa line to Asakusa station. Take the Senso-ji Temple exit [look for the signs in English]. Once on the main street [Kaminarimon-dori] go left towards the temple. Continue walking past the gate entry to the temple until you reach the next main street [Kokusai-dori]. Cross the street and turn right. Continue walking for a few blocks. Raishuken is down a laneway on the left [approximately opposite Denny's restaurant, at the time of writing] and will be marked 2-26-3. You may need to go down a couple of laneways to find it but it will be well worth your trouble.

When:

Wednesday - Monday
12.00pm - 7.00pm

Regular holiday is Tuesday