Recipe: Australian Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

Filling 

2 cloves garlic
1 brown onion
1 celery stalk
5 oz / 150g bacon
1 lb / 500g pork mince (ground pork)
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper

Pastry

3 sheets puff pastry
1 egg

1 oz / 30 ml milk

Sesame seeds (black and natural)
Ketchup / tomato sauce

Instructions

• Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Fry onion and celery until the onion is transparent
• Add diced bacon to the pan and fry until the bacon is browned, then add garlic and fry until all vegetables are cooked. 
• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and allow to cool while you  prepare the other filling ingredients. If necessary cool the bowl in the freezer while you prepare the meat

• Preheat oven to 350F / 180C while you prepare the sausage rolls 
• Add meat, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and combine
• Once the vegetables are cool add to the bowl and then need the ingredients until well mixed
• Lay out the pastry and cut in half, allow to thaw until pliable 
• Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl and place a pastry brush in the egg wash mix
• Brush one edge of the pastry with the egg wash, taking up around 1/3 of the pastry
• Then create a log of pork filling that takes up around another 1/3 of the pastry
• Stretch out the unwashed piece of pastry and then roll over the meat, then place the egg washed section over the unwashed pastry acting like a glue

• You should have rolled up sausage logs ready for cutting, I like to make these small bites by cutting the log into 6 pieces so that you can control portions
• If you have a baker's blade use this, otherwise a sharp knife will do. Cut the log in half and then cut each half into 1/3s
• Place the pieces well spaced on a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper 

• Brush the top of each pastry with more egg wash and then sprinkle with sesame seeds
• This recipe should fill 3 sheets of pastry and make around 36 snack sized sausage rolls
• Bake for 30 mins (or until the pastry is golden brown), turning the tray around minute 18

• Let cool on baking racks before serving so that they are warm but not painful to touch
• Serve on a party tray with a bowl of tomato sauce and enjoy!

Review: Yakitori Glad, Honolulu Hawaii

If you've spent any serious time in Osaka you're bound to have ventured into a Torikizoku "Restaurant 280" a yakitori specialty restaurant where everything from the beer to the bar snacks are a flat rate 280Y. Their cheap and cheerful booze laden atmosphere house some of my favourite travel memories so when we found a clone in Hawaii we just had to go. 

Exchange rates and inflation have had their way but at $3.90USD for all items it's still a total bargain. 

Other than the price it's almost identical to Torikizoku even down to the decor.

The menu is point and slur simple, perfect for too many beers. Various bits of chicken are skewered, grilled and topped with sticky BBQ sauces. Choose chicken skewers with salt shio, BBQ marinade tare or specialty kushi-yaki like wasabi beef, tongue or pork belly.

Beer $3.90USD

Imported Sapporo and Kirin were available off the keg plus a number of other domestic beer options. 

 

Lychee and Grape Calpis Chuhai $3.90USD

Chuhai are alcoholic high balls common in bars in Japan. Usually sweet and reasonably low alcohol they're a sometimes safe bet when drinking rounds with salarymen if you wish to survive Japan's bar culture. Fizzy water, flavouring and shochu (white grain alcohol) are mixed and served long over ice. Add Calpis fermented yoghurt cordial for a creamy delicious option.

Tsukune okonomi style  $3.90USD

Ground chicken meatballs are threaded on a skewer grilled then topped with okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, shaved katsuoboshi and scallions. 

Momotare yaki $3.90USD 

Chicken thigh and scallions slathered in a sweet BBQ sauce are grilled till crispy

Tsukune with cheese $3.90USD

Ground chicken meatballs are threaded on a skewer grilled then topped with cheese slices

Momo-mayo-tare $3.90USD

Grilled chicken thigh with BBQ marinade and mayonnaise. 

Gyu-kushi $3.90USD

Grilled beef skewer with scallions - delicious with beer!

 

Renkon nikizume $3.90USD

Slices of lotus root stuffed with ground chicken meat grilled to perfection. I love lotus root in everything, it's a very fancy looking root vegetable with a neutral taste that adds fiber and depth to many dishes. Fantastic with the super hot Japanese mustard provided.

Hiya-yakko $3.90USD

One of my favourite dishes particularly in warm weather. Cold silken tofu topped with ginger, soy sauce, katsuoboshi and scallions.

Vegetable salad $3.90USD

All that meat and booze deserves a little greenery to finish it off. Fresh salad topped with a classic Japanese onion dressing.

Onigiri-yaki $3.90USD

The Japanese like to end a meal with white rice and I think it's a great way to cleanse the palette. White rice is formed into triangular rice balls, brushed with a little soy and then grilled until crispy. Neutral and chewy!

Sesame balls $3.90USD

I like to end on a sweet note and these fried sesame balls are one of my favourite desserts - gluten, dairy free and vegan! Sticky rice dough is filled with red bean paste, rolled in toasted sesame and deep fried to perfection

Yakitori Glad is a great example of the skewers and too many drinks Osaka style eating. Great for groups and parties, you can order a little or a lot and have a great time. Service is fast casual bar style, don't expect a lot of niceties and if you're looking for sushi or large plates you came to the wrong place. If you, like I love a rowdy night out and a lot of small plates this is an excellent time for everyone. 

 Yakitori Glad

http://yakitori-glad.com/

766 Kapahulu Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816

Authentic Japanese bar and small plates grill
Good for groups

Review: Gazen Izakaya, Waikiki Hawaii

Well I know there's been a bit of a break in content but there's a good reason! I moved to New York City and life got in the way. Moving across a continent is a big deal! Well I'm back in a sensible routien and I have lots of catch up to do on content and a whole new city to explore full of every kind of food imaginable. 

For my first wedding anniversary we decided to go to Waikiki. I had spent some time in Hawaii on work trips but my husband was yet to savour in the delights. Neither of us had been to Waikiki since we were very young, when you used to refuel in Hawaii on flights from Australia across the Pacific. 

Waikiki is now the perfect Japanese holiday destination and is filled with a hearty mix of Americans, Japanese and Australians... which makes it feel a little like being back in Sydney. This means a great variety of Japanese specialty restaurants all over Honolulu. 

Gazen was a real find, a traditional and authentic Kansai style Izakaya in suburban Honolulu. Aimed mostly at local residents rather than tourists the restaurant had a vibrant homely feel with many regulars who stopped to speak to us. 

Tuna Sashimi $16.50USD

Fresh and delicious, it seemed unreasonable to holiday in the middle of the Pacific and not eat tuna!

Tofu sampler $12.80USD

This was the real stellar dish of the visit. Home made tofu in three different styles - kurogoma black sesame tofu, sukui tofu in soy milk broth, zaru cold fresh tofu with Hawaiian sea salt. Each was delicious though I liked the sukui with a little soy and wasabi, were I coming back again I would have altered how much I order. I was expecting half or less of each sample. 

Croquettes $7.75USD

A home made specialty croquette made with ground chicken scallions and tofu. Delicious!

Tofu and Jako salad with yuzu dressing $7.50

Had I realised how large the tofu sampler was I would have skipped this but I was hypnotised by the range of fresh tofu products (and this was the small salad!). It was delicious but we ate less than a third of it. The yuzu dressing was crisp fresh and delicious, I expect there is a local yuzu farm since this was no bottled dressing.

Beef tataki $8.50USD and cucumber salad $4.50USD

American beef sometimes leaves a little to be desired, I probably would have skipped this if I was returning. The Cucumber salad was nice and cut through some of the fattier dishes, I wish it had come with more of the yuzu dressing from the other salad. 

Grilled chicken with onion sauce $9.25USD

If you were coming for a healthy meal this would definitely be a great option. Skin removed grilled chicken is served on top of sprouts and scallions with a delicious savoury ground onion sauce. Yum.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese vegetable pancake) $4.75USD

This takes a little while to prepare so you want to order this first and have it appear a the end of the meal. Fried vegetables and served topped with sticky sweet sauce, mayonnaise, dried bonito and herbs. Delicious. If you like the look of this check out my simple recipe for okonomiyaki a great way to get kids to eat more vegies.

Somehow I managed to not even get a picture of the seasoned burdock root dish we ordered which was by far one of the best. I suspect that exhaustion from so much food was to blame. 

So my usual approach when going to a tapas or izakaya place is to order one dish from each section of the menu and then order again if the party is still hungry. In this case this turned out to be a mistake and we were unable to eat half the food. The key here seems to be that this was not actually "small plates" and that really this was izakaya style food but with American sized meal portions. Just a litle nod to Hawaii's blended culture. 

The food was wonderful and that tofu was to die for, definitely worth going back to. Doing it again, I probably would have ordered the okonomiyaki and the tofu and left it at that. Service was usual immaculate Japanese deference. 

My only tip? Drive yourself or make sure to have instructions on your phone for a taxi driver since this was a townie restaurant away from the resorts and the drivers both there and back commented they had not heard of it. 

Gazen Izakaya

Traditional Japanese gastropub in suburban Honolulu

http://www.e-k-c.co.jp/gazen/honolulu/

2840 Kapiolani Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96826

Bask, San Francisco

I come from a Basque family so going to a restaurant like this means competing with my grandmother's cooking, and that's dangerous. San Francisco has a surprisingly large Basque community including multiple Basque restaurants and a cultural centre, so I'm hopeful when I book dinner with friends.

The Lauburu (Basque cross) is on just about everything, which is a sure sign that the staff and owners are actually Basque. I have a lauburu tattoo which quickly draws attention from our waiter and he asks about where my family is from. It turns out the chef at Bask is from Eibar in Gipuzkoa - the same home town as my family - and the food is consequently authentic and familiar.

There are larger 'main' dishes on the menu but I think of pintxos as the ultimate Basque food, and since I'm catching up with friends from Australia some drinks and a variety of small plates is about perfect.

Charcuterie plate $15USD

Serrano ham, chorizo and blood sausage are served with lots of bread. Every meal with my family would start with chorizo and bread so this is a must for me. This is chorizo as I remember it - hard cut spicey cured paprika sausage not the soft fresh sausage mince style that is common in Californian Mexican cooking.

Goat Cheese $10USD

Covered with pistachio and honey served over sultanas and caramelised onions then baked until warm and gooey. Perfect for sharing if you can fight your other diners for the dish. The tart goat cheese is offset by the sweet honey and crunchy nuts making this a perfect multi taste multi texture dish.

Albondigas $10USD

Basque style meatballs served in tomato sauce. Meatballs might seem simple but they call out to childhood nostalgia for just about everyone. Unlike American meatballs most European meatballs are made with multiple types of meat - in this case Lamb and Beef. I'm glad for the additional flavour profile since Lamb is not that common here in San Francisco. The sauce is very traditional and worth scooping up with the bread.

Ham Croquettes $9.50USD

Another childhood favourite croquetas in many forms are common throughout Spain. These are a traditional ham croquettes with an egg and roux based soft and salty filling. Perfect drinking food.

Gambas al ajillo $9.50USD

Prawns are fried simply in olive oil and garlic and served with lemon and a spicy aioli

Brie Bites $10.50USD

Not for the dieter this is rich beyond compare. Chunks of brie are covered in breading and then deep fried, served with a sweet jam. 

Tortilla $9USD

When people in California talk about tortillas they mean the thin corn or wheat bread products, but this egg and potato frittata is what the Spanish mean. Thinly sliced onion and potato is mixed with egg and fried in a pan then sliced into portions. This rendition is covered in more of the spicy aioli served with other dishes. 

Patatas Bravas $9USD

Another potato dish and a sure hit for the family - fried potates are served in a spicy tomato sauce. Great with cold beer or cider.

Arugula Salad $10USD

All that rich food needs a few vegetables to cut through the fat. This is really a California style dish but goes well with the Basque food. Arugula is dressed and toped with beets, blue cheese, walnuts and apple. 

 Brussel Sprouts $9.50USD

Brussel sprouts are one of those foods that I have discovered as an adult. Many people find that the savoury taste is only appealing as they age but for me these were decidedly absent in my house altogether - I am the only fan in my family! This is a great classic version fried with bacon and topped with parmesan cheese. The savoury taste is excellent with the meat dishes.

Flan $7USD

Time for dessert for some of the diners! We opt for more traditional Spanish options. Flan is an egg custard baked with a toffee bottom that self sauces when turned out of the custard cup. This isn't the best flan I've had - you can see the air bubbles have not been well tapped out so that the custard isn't as smooth as I like. The taste is spot on though. 

Churros $7USD

Churros are fairly common in California where there is a large Latin population but this is just how they should be served - covered in cinnamon sugar in small bites with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. If you can fit in more fried food after all those tasty tapas this is recommended and my partner looks like a kid in a candy shop as he wades in.

My impression? The food was very authentic and tasty, there is a huge range of small dishes that is sure to appeal to just about every diner including children and fussy eaters. There's a great range of wine, beer and cider available if you want to stay for a few drinks and small nibbles. Service was good though the restaurant was very busy on a Saturday night. Well worth a stop, I will definitely be taking family here when they visit.

Bask

http://www.basksf.com

42 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94111

Basque comfort food and small plates, great for sharing and drinking