Mozzarella making class at Murray's Cheese, Bleecker St

When we go on vacation we like to do local cooking classes and there seemed to be no reason to keep this just to travel time! NYC is filled with cooking classes, especially one shot items designed for couples and friends to have a fun  night out. 

Murray's Cheese is a legendary cheese monger in Manhattan's Greenwich Village that seemse to stock just about every cheese I could think of to order and every accoutrement one could see fit to add to a cheeese board. They also offer high end food products like small batch meat and dairy, imported pastas and charcuterie and a lot more. 

We were here for the class though! Now we expected a cheese making adventure but what I wasn't expecting was a tasting and drinks before hand. This turned out to be a really excellent deal with bottomless Prosecco and Red Wine and a table full of nuts, pickles, dried fruit and bread. 

Here you can see my tasting board with a variety of mozzarella products - plain curds, fresh mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, burrata and smoked mozarrella. 

The teacher walked us through tasting notes of each item provided while everyone sipped wine. Then there was as small break while the cheese making portion of the event came up. 

Here you can see the cheese curds and hot water that form the basis of the Mozzarella; the process is surprisingly simple and easy to do at home. It mostly involves pulling hot salted cheese curds and then forming into a ball of cheese. If you want to try it at home then Epicurious has a great guide to the process. 

Here's my completed Mozzarella balls, to be honest I wish I'd ignored the instructor and made one large ball of cheese instead of two but the results were still delicious.

This class was the gift that kept on giving! First of all we had 4 balls of fressh Mozarrella to use up so we made home made pizza and caprese salad later in the week. Hmmm!

They also sent us home with an extra box of cheese curds, now... we were meant to use these to practice making more cheese but husband requested poutine instead. Honestly New York is filled with high quality fresh mozzarella and no poutine so I felt like this was a great choice!

The class was fun and an easy event to fit in after work since it only added up to a couple of hours and included both nibbles and drinks. They offered a discount voucher for the cheese shop that we abused thoroughly. All in all an excellent night out and a memorable date night; the store offers a large range of classes for tasting and making and we'll definitely be back.

Murray's Cheese Making Classes 

https://www.murrayscheese.com/current-events

Foodie mecca offering an array of fine cheeses plus breads, cured meats, olives & other deli items.

254 Bleecker St

New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 243-3289

Recipe: Low Carb No Bake Cheesecake

Low Carb No Bake Cheesecake

Base:

1 cup walnuts
60g butter (1/2 stick)
1 tspn of pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tspn cinnamon, ginger, gloves and nutmeg)


Filling:

1.25 lbs / 550g Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup baking Stevia or Xylitol
250g butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup half and half
1 serve of gelatine or agar agar
1 lemon
1/2 tspn vanilla essence

Method:

• Recipe fills a 7 inch spring pan, for a 9 inch double the recipe
• Heat the water and place in a wide flat bowl, sprinkle with the gelatine and leave to bloom while you make the base
• For a vegetarian alternative use 1/2 pack of agar agar on the stove with the water
• In a food processor pulse the nuts into course pieces, add the spices

• Cut 60g (half a stick) of butter into small cubes and pulse into the nut / spice mix
• Line the spring pan with paper and oil the sides
• Fill the bottom of the pan with the nut base mix and set the pan asside

• In a mixer cream the remaining butter and the sweetener; you want to use a measure for measure product like baking stevia or xylitol
• If you must use coffee serves of sweetener use the equivalent of 16 cups of sugar - this is usually 8 packets 
• Once the butter is creamed add the cream cheese and begin to whip on a low speed
• Once the gelatine has bloomed add to the cream cheese mixture 
• Add the half and half, vanilla and lemon juice
• Once all the liquids are incorporated set to a medium speed and whip until the mixture grows in size by about 1/4
• Pour into the spring pan and tap lightly to settle the mixture. Use a cake spatula to even out the top if desired
• Cover and refrigerate overnight so that the gelatine firms
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan and then open the spring lock, cut into pieces
• Serve with whipped cream and nuts

Recipe: No bake low carb cheesecake bites

You can see I'm stocking up on low carb sweets at the moment, having desserts around that fit in a restricted calorie or carb diet make it easier to maintain my weight. I also like to portion control any treats, you'll notice I  use small tins and moulds for many desserts. This avoids the temptation to take "just a little more" and gives me an excuse to make whimsical looking sweets

I tried a number of baked low carb cheesecake recipes with no success on texture, this no bake fridge/freezer cake is my best yet. This is a terribly easy recipe that is delicious and can be adapted to any flavour, whether you're carb watching or not!

Low Carb Cheesecake Bites

Crust

1/4 cup roasted almonds (unsalted)
1/4 cup walnuts
3 tbspn melted butter
1 tspn pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg/cinnamon/ginger)

• These cheesecake bites are lovely on their own but add a crust if you want the real dessert experience
• This mix of nuts and spice makes a great low carb crust that is reminiscent of a Graham Cracker crust
• Chop the nuts in a mixer or by hand
• Add the spice, then add the melted butter 1 tbspn at a time until a moist consistency is reached
• Line the bottom of a pie tin or cupcake tins for individual portions, 1 tspn per mini cake is more than enough

Filling

225g (8oz) Neufchatel or Cream Cheese
125g (or 1 stick) of Salted butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup Splenda granules or equivalent sweetener
1 lime or small lemon

• Neufchatel is the best cheese to give that "just like Sara Lee" taste, but if you can't find it at your local supermarket then any brick of Cream Cheese will do just as well
• I keep these in the freezer so that 1 batch can last many days, I take out one portion about 20 mins before I intend to eat it
• If you like a stiffer consistency or would like to serve straight from the fridge rather than the freezer then add 1 sheet of gelatin or replace the sweetener with a box of Sugar Free Lemon jelly (jello) dissolved in half a cup of water
• Using other flavours of jelly (or sugar free flavour syrups) allow you to mix and match flavours like cherry, raspberry or orange. 
• Soften the cream cheese either by leaving it out of the fridge for an hour or by microwaving for 30 seconds (make sure to remove the foil!)
• Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave; I melt the butter and then take out a couple of spoons for the crust and use the rest in the batter. 
• Using a hand mixer or food processor mix the Cream Cheese and Butter together. Make sure that you have returned the butter to a luke warm temperature or it will cause the cheese to curdle
• Grate the rind of your lime (or half of a lemon) and juice the fruit, add both the rind and the juice to the cheese/butter mix
• Add the cream and the sweetener and then mix on a medium speed until all the ingredients are combined
• For easy serving into moulds or tins I then transfer the mixture into a measuring jug for easy pouring, the mixture should have the same consistency as melted ice cream
• Pour your mixture into your moulds and then move into the freezer, this recipe will take around 2 hours to set. 
• I use silicon moulds for freezing, these are perfect in cupcake form. I put the silicon liners in a cupcake tray and then put the whole tray in the freezer.

• These make great frozen 'bites' without the crust, use fancy jelly or ice moulds to make small treats you can pop out any time like these Mooncake shapes I've created with a cheap jelly mould. Without the crust, and in smaller sizes, make these closer to an "every day" treat at around 100 calories each
• To ensure the shape stays 'perfect' prepare the night before and don't be tempted to pop out until the mixture is firm!
• This recipe makes 9 mini cupcake desserts, or more if you choose a smaller mould. Macros for 9 servings are 264 calories, 25g Fat, 3.5g Carbs (2.5g Net) per serving
• Top with a slice of citrus, nuts or fruit toppings if you're not a low carb eater

Recipe: Low carb fudge

It must be said, this is a low carb recipe not a low calorie recipe. This is rich beyond rich and is definitely a 'treat' food, handle with care. 

Low Carb Fudge

1/3 cup Peanut Butter
125g Butter
1/4 cup Splenda
100 mls Whipping Cream
1 tbpsn Cocoa
1/3 cup Walnut pieces

Method

• Cut the butter into centimetre sized cubes and place in a saucepan with the peanut butter
• Heat on a low to moderate heat stirring regularly until you get a caramel coloured liquid emulsion of nut butter
• Add the Splenda and mix through thoroughly, heat until the mixture begins to bubble
• Add the Cocoa, 1 tablespoon should be more than enough if good quality Dutch process Cocoa is used. In the US I have discovered Guittard single origin Cocoa and recommend it highly. 
• Stir thoroughly to ensure even mix of the nut butter and cocoa, the mixture should have an even colour
• Add the cream while continuing to stir, this may cause the mixture to rise slightly so it is best to use a small saucepan or tall confectioner's pan
• Continue stirring rigorously, the mixture should thicken quickly due to the Cocoa and cream
• When the mixture has reached the consistency of gravy turn the heat off
• Take a small pan or tupperware container - I used a 10cm * 15cm container - and line with the walnut pieces
• Pour the hot fudge mixture over the nuts ensuring they are all covered
• Leave to rest until close to room temperature and then refrigerate until solid, preferably overnight
• Cut into cubes, this recipe should make around 20 pieces but err on the small side as this is very rich
• Serve with coffee but keep refrigerated until close to serving as the high fat content of this fudge will cause it to melt at warm temperatures
• Be calorie and carb smart, this is a little over 1g of carbs per piece and less net carbs since much of the carbohydrate is dietary fiber from the nuts but this is a whopping 100 calories a piece

Keto friendly recipes: Souvlaki with Tzatziki and Greek Salad

Tzatziki

1/2 a lebanese cucumber

1 clove of garlic

250g pot of plain yoghurt

• Tzatziki is best made the day before as the raw garlic needs time to mature in the yoghurt
• Dice the garlic as finely as you can, place in a bowl with the yoghurt and mix thoroughly
• Dice the cucumbers into small pieces and add to the yoghurt mix, stir thoroughly to coat
• Place in the fridge overnight, before the meal drain off any excess water that has come from the cucumbers and stir again
• Serve in a small bowl or on the side of your meal
• Many yoghurts in the US are non fat, I recommend Brown Cow Plain Creamtop yoghurt which is whole milk and free of Bovine growth hormone, it is also low lactose and I can digest this without lactase

Greek Salad

1 cup of green leaves

1/4 a lebanese cucumber

1/2 a red onion

8 grape tomatoes

10 kalamata olives

100g of herbed goats cheese

• Place the leaves on the base of your plate or bowl
• Cut the cucumber into rounds 
• Dice the onion and slice the tomatoes
• Drain pitted olives
• Place all the vegetables in your bowl 
• Crumble the cheese on top
• If desired dress with a balsamic/olive oil dressing

Souvlaki

500g leg of lamb
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 tbspns of extra virgin olive oil
Salt for seasoning

• Marinate the lamb as long as you can, either over night or from lunchtime for a dinner meal
• Dice the lamb into evenly sized bite sized morsels and place in a bowl
• Season liberally with salt, break the leaves off the rosemary and place in the bowl
• Drizzle the oil on the meat, no need to be precise with the amount just ensuring that the meat is well coated
• Mix through to ensure that the salt, herbs and oil are coated onto each piece
• Place the bowl in the fridge well covered to seal

• The oil may have turned cloudy or solidified due to the cooling, this is normal
• At the time you're ready to cook take the meat out of the fridge and thread the pieces onto skewers
• Leave the meat out to reach room temperature before cooking

• Souvlaki can be cooked in any means you choose, over a wood barbecue is best 
• In my case I'm frying because I've recently moved countries and have limited cooking equipment
• Place flat on one edge of the meat and turn the skewers every 2-3 minutes until the meat is cooked

• Once cooked be sure to leave the meat to rest before serving for around 5 mins
• If you're a bay area local I recommend organic lamb from the Haight St Market

• Whether you're low carb eating or not this is a delicious family meal just perfect on summer evenings. 
• This recipe will serve 2 heartily. 
• If you need your carbs back then serve with Pita and hummus for a delicious do it yourself wrap.

Serious birthday cake at Zumbo Patissier, Pyrmont

I work in Pyrmont close to The Star casino complex and an exciting new addition has come to the neighbourhood; Zumbo Patissier the super luxurious, delightfully decadant cake and pastry maker that makes all foodies in Sydney go to happy little day dream places. The love child of culinary genius Adriano Zumbo this store makes an excellent addition to The Star's recent upgrade.



Sadly being January things are a little more sensible on my diet this month but it's definitely worth noting the Dessert Train!



Set up like a kaiten zushi with small pieces of delight wizzing past on a motorised conveyor belt. Note if you are intending to go that there's a significant wait on popular nights, so don't expect to pop straight in after a meal or a game elsewhere in the building.



Sydney is still on a long running obsession with macarons (cupcakes are sooo 2008) and Zumbo's is definitely one of the best purveyors of these delights. Remember though these little pieces of heaven are delicate and difficult to make, meaning they're definitely a 'treat' food and should be purchased the day you intend to eat them - humidity is the bane of all macarons.


It was recently my birthday and since I have the luck to date a lovely man who shares my taste for all things rich we went on a trip to the patisserie for some serious birthday cake.



Macarons $2.50 each

Shown here is Salted Butter Caramel, Pumpkin, Lemon Verbenna and Coconut Green Chilli & Lavender. All light, perfect and delicious. I think I could eat a meal of those salted caramel delights and be happy.




ssnowmanorr $9 Pâté a choux, bubble tea custard, lychee coconut crème légère, lychee gel, coconut crunch.

Zumbo loves delightful little food tricks and this is genius, it is essentially a bubble tea made into a delightful little cake, complete with milk tea flavoured custard and chunks of Lychee jelly. Despite the heavy creamy interior the outside maintained a light crisp texture that oozed when bit into.






grandma's soap $9 Blueberry compote, fresh blueberries, lavender chantilly & almond cème

This was probably my favourite of the lot, I would love to see the mould that the lavender and creme layer was made with to get it out so smooth and perfect. The bottom was a slightly tart mix of almondine and berry that was offset perfectly by the sweet sweet cream layer.



whizz fizz $9 Raspberry meringue, sherbet, raspberry compote, liquorice crème

This was definitely the boy's favourite. WhizzFizz is a brand of Australian sherbert, the sugary fizzy kind not the cold kind, so expect something a little different from this raspberry meringue pie. The crisp light meringue gives way to rich berry and cream; don't be afraid of the liquorice if you are not a fan it's not strong and compliments the fruit layer perfectly.



√ caramel $9 Passionfruit crème, ginger vanilla bavaroise, tonka bean caramel, ginger sable breton, caramel chantilly, caramel sponge

The texture and construction of this dessert is simply amazing. It's a tiny entremet cake with many finely created layers in a small caramel 'box' with a texture like felted caramel. with the amount of caramel in here you'd think it would be sweet on sweet but there are darker burnt sugar tones and the ginger that set the mouth ablaze. An absolute amazement in construction and to make this many flavours work together in harmony deserves accolades.





Be aware this was simply ridiculous amounts of cake and took us several days to eat, even without me dissecting and photographing every morsel we bought. One and a half of these tiny rich delights was more than enough to fill me up despite no dinner. If you're looking for a fancy gift for an in law or just a small delight for a special occasion one or two of these with a cup of unsweetened coffee would delight even the grumpiest of diners. Much recommended, with quite a bit of willpower wrangling to stop me running over on a regular basis.

Zumbo Patissier at The Star

http://adrianozumbo.com/patisserie-menu/
Shop1, Cafe Court
The Star
80 Pyrmont st
Pyrmont, NSW, 2009
Entry via Edward st


Up market patisserie and eat in dessert train
No cafe seating, take your cake home or sit on the waterfront to enjoy
Walking off with a Zumbo box will cause green envy on all foodies in the vicinity


View Larger Map

Good Food and Wine Show Sydney 2009

I've been terrible at blagging here lately, so be warned I have a backlog of entries to post over the next few days.



Today we went to the Good Food and Wine Show at the convention centre in Darling Harbour. I managed to get a code through OzBargain which meant we not only got 2 for 1 tickets but the tickets included seats at one of the celebrity shows meaning we got a live MasterChef show and entry to the exhibit for the rum price of $27.50 for both the boy and myself.



I was kind of surprised to find that when we got there the tickets really weren't that bad, we had placements about 1/3 of the way up the room and while the crowd was large and this meant that the view wasn't up close and personal it was good enough and live streaming screens made it all easy to watch regardless. They had some of the contestants from MasterChef guest appear and all the judges were included in the show. I profess to much preferring Gary Mehigan in general on the show, I like his presenting style and his food significantly more than fellow host George Colombaris and this show only rammed that opinion home since every second sentence out of George's mouth seemed to be either a dick joke or an ethnic stereotype. The food they cooked was the sort that could be completed quickly in a cooking slot and not much to write home about but the show was entertaining, the rabid fans of the TV show even more entertaining and the foodie jokes worth a good chuckle. Certainly given that it was no extra for us to attend on top of the show ticket it was certainly worth the pre-booking.



The rest of the show is a series of exhibits vying for your attention, taste buds and hopefully money. There's a few real misses, like any stall that's selling an item you can get at the supermarket with no real bonus or reason to be there - I feel so sorry for the Vegeta promotion people for instance, even though I totally believe in their product.



Piles of Nespresso pods ready for the tasting

There were a *lot* of alcohol stands; and as I'd had a port or 5 too many the night before I wasn't actually so keen on a lot of alcohol and more than a little annoyed to find that there weren't actually all that many ways to buy a non alcoholic drink. Apart from the Mount Franklin booth giving away much needed glasses of fizzy water I couldn't actually get a soft drink except at the built in cafes that are part of the centre and these had long lines and ridiculous prices.

This also added up to a lot of people being quite tipsy and innappropriate throughout the day which made it a bit difficult to negotiate the large crowds and I feel sorry for those who had brought children.



Hmmm cheese.



Gorgeous decorations from Cookie Couture



Movenpick ice creams - $5 for 2 scoops Lemon, Mango, Pistachio and Hazelnut

Somehow miraculously between all the tastings and proddings, shows and samples about 5 hours had disappeared and my feet were killing me so we stopped for a much needed rest and had an ice cream. Movenpick is my favourite ice cream brand in the world, a rich creamy Swiss ice cream that I dream about at night.



The haul...

• St Clare, Blue Opal and Double Cream Brie cheeses from Tasmanian Heritage $15 with a cooler bag


• Free copies of BBC Good Food mag $0


• Mint Rocky Road from Voodoo $7


• 4 types of dark chocolate from Ritter $10


• Organic cocoa and dark chocolate almonds $15


• Vanilla chai from Arkadia $5


• Tawny Port and Tokay from the Buller Winery $20 each


• Vanilla Rose, Jasmine Green, and a huge assortment of other teas from the Dilmah range $10


• New cooking skirt apron from Dandi an unbelievable $5

For whatever reason we were all about the cheese, chocolate and beverages on this day but there were amazing amounts of condiments, meats and just about everything else you could ever wish for on display. I think the only item that really surprised me was the popularity fo the Asian grocery stalls since there are evidently a lot of people who don't understand that Asian groceries are as easy to get as their Western equivalents.

That vanilla rose tea is just heavenly and will be a drink of choice for the rest of Winter.