tinytearoom

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

December 28th

Written by: tinytearoom

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread 5 cups (625g or 22oz) cups plain flour 1½ teaspoons instant dried yeast ¼ cup (40g or 1½oz) dry milk powder 2½ teaspoon (15g or ½oz) fine sea salt 400ml (400g or 14floz) lukewarm water 2 tablespoons honey ½ cup (130g or 4½oz) unsalted butter, melted extra plain flour for kneading In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, yeast and milk powder. Sprinkle on the salt and gently mix together. Add the water, honey and butter. Gently mix everything together with your hands or a wooden spoon. When it all starts coming together place the dough on a floured counter top and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, approx 10-15 minutes – try your best to use the least amount of extra flour and possible.

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Bo Bia – Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Chinese Sausage, Jicama and Egg

February 9th

Written by: tinytearoom

Bo Bia is a lesser know variant of the famous Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Summer Roll). It is a similar concept but with different filling. I had never heard of this roll until I mistakenly bought some while I was backpacking through Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). I thought I was ordering Goi Cuon from the street vendor but luckily got a bag of this. In my severely broken Vietnamese I asked the vendor for the ingredients. However, there was one ingredient that I did not understand. It wasn’t until my arrival home and some rifling through cookbooks that I realised it was jicama (yam bean). This peculiar vegetable is best described as a cross between apple, radish and water chestnut. It can be eaten raw and is prized for its crisp, clean taste. It also remains crisp if cooked. Jicama can be used in spring rolls and salads and frequently appears in vegetarian meals. Bo Bia – Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Chinese Sausage, Jicama and Egg ½ cup small dried shrimp 2 chinese sausages (lap cheong) 200g jicama (yam bean), sliced into matchsticks 2 free-range eggs 1 garlic clove, minced a bunch of thai basil a bunch of vietnamese mint oak lettuce 15cm (6″) round rice paper wrappers 1 cup hoisin sauce ½ cup coconut milk Place the dried

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Canh Chua Tôm – Vietnamese Sour Soup with Prawn

January 22nd

Written by: tinytearoom

Herbs are a tricky ingredient. They can make or break a dish. Too little and the dish is bland and boring. Too much and it’s like your eating the entire contents of your granny’s medicine cabinet. It is with this reason that I absolutely refuse to buy my herbs from supermarkets. They are more than likely incubated in hothouses and can be fed with a host of unsavoury pesticides. They are often bland and twice the size that they should be. I want my herbs to be burgeoning in the full blaze of the sun and their roots soaked with rainwater. Therefore I know that the flavour that graces my dishes are what they intended to be… natural. Here in this refreshing soup from Vietnam, I made sure that the herbs used were grown in more natural conditions. It is important that the vibrant citrusy notes from the rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander come shining through. On the bustling streets of Cabramatta you can find sweet little old ladies setting up makeshift stalls to sell homegrown fruit and vegetables. The very same produce that they use to make their meals for their families. Another ingredient that I purchased from these enterprising ladies is the elephant ear stem (Bạc Hà). Its unusual name is from the shape of the leaf,

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