The Austerity Army Goes Tropo, or Mini-Mango Cakes from the Hilltop Winter Kitchen

It is cold and wet this morning. It has been raining hard for three solid days. Today, it is supposed to ease, but get cold and turn to snow! Winter is truly upon us in the Hilltop Kitchen!

Snow is good, though. The way our wonky New Zealand weather works, a snowstorm is usually followed by a sunny high, which is often followed by Australian tourists who have never seen snow, children who want to make snowmen and people coming in from the cold to admire the snowy view. So, while today will be quiet, the next few days could be good for business.

Our Austerity Campaign is in full swing, and so far, so good. My bills are decreasing, the waste is decreasing and the freezers are starting to give up their previously paid for treasures. Mind you, we are not in trouble, we are just being pro-active. Last winter, we didn't feel the GFC so much. Overseas visitors already had their vacations booked, so they were committed to travelling regardless of the economy. New Zealand and Australian trevellers that hadn't booked anything were staying closer to home and that was good for us. But, this year, May has been all-time quiet. One of our sales reps today said that he has lost 28% of his client base. YIKES! So, we are being pro-active and our small army of austerity soldiers is marching forward!!!

My first task this morning was to make fresh scones. We always have a sweet muffin (chocolate, today) and a savory scone. So, this morning I made a batch of Cheese Scones -- Yummy! They came out light and fluffy!


The choices in the deli are, happily, turning over at an acceptable rate now that I have restricted the number of choices and the quantities available. But, last weekend, we did have to chuck out the better part of both a Carrot Cake and a Tennis Cake. I decided then that we needed to limit the cakes to small, individual cakes, and only have 3 or 4 portions available at any time. We have enough spare time to make additional batches, as needed. We are no longer doing bulk, and that is the mind-set change that seems hard to make.

A few weeks ago, I found some limes in the chill room that The Man bought on special, hoping I'd make a Key Lime Pie. Well, we were still busy-ish then, I wasn't spending any time in the kitchen and those limes never got juiced! So, last week, I got busy juicing as the limes were approaching "use 'em or lose 'em" stage.

After I juiced the limes, I poured the juice into ice-cube tray and froze them. The following day, I popped the cubes into a sealed plastic container and left them in the freezer. We now have 1Tblsp free-flow portions of fresh lime juice at our disposal!

Now, while The Man is the great shopper (he knows the price of everything and can spot a deal at a hundred paces), several months ago I purchased a huge, commercial size can of mangoes for NZ$2.17. Very cheap, very good purchase, right? Well, not if it just sits on the shelf all summer!!! Ironically, I randomly pulled out one of our many baking cookbooks (no offense, AR!) and the first mango recipe I found was for Mini-Mango Cakes with Lime Syrup!!! So, today is the day that I am going to give this a whirl!

In the meantime, for those of you craving an update on Project Bread (referring to blog posts last December), at this point I did get an order for Home-made Raisin Toast and our Home-made Multi-seed loaf toast! Projct Bread has actually been a complete success!!!

Back to the Mini-Mango Cakes. I opened the huge can and portioned the mangoes into several smaller freezable portions, using one portion to line the muffin tin with mango slices.

I creamed the butter and sugar, added in the eggs. I was about to fold in the flour, and ground almonds. Ooops! Crikey! 2 Tblsp of Coconut Milk?! I don't have any coconut milk on hand, and even if I did, I wouldn't want to open a whole can for 2 Tbsp. Yikes! I'll bet if I mix a few pinches of finely grated coconut (which we also have for the Anzac Cookies we make) with 2 Tbsp of pouring cream and let it infuse for a bit, it'll be fine. That done, I gently folded everything together and topped the mango slices.

It was at this stage, I got excited. This recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of flour and it also calls for 2 Tbsp of ground almond. This is secret recipe code for "This would be a perfect recipe to make Gluten Free!" Next time, I will sub 1/2 cup of GF flour, and I bet they turn out just fine! Wow! That means I can cover my GF people and my regular cake people with one small batch of mini cakes! Score one for the Austerity Army!

Into the oven and about 25 minutes later, the little cakes came out of the oven looking great. While they were, baking I prepared the Lime Syrup. Now the recipe said to mix 1/2 cup of water with a half of a cup of sugar and 2 Tbsp of lime juice. But, I had this huge can of mango syrup in front of me, so I put about 1/2 of a cup of the mango syrup, a little sugar and the 2 lime juice ice cubes into a sauce pan, simmered it until it had reduced a bit and set it aside.

I pierced the mini-cakes with a toothpick, as the recipe called for and then drizzled each cake with a few spoonfuls of the syrup. We let them rest for 5 minutes. I then turned them out and they looked good, but the fruit looked slightly brown. The Man was concerned. Hmmm... just a symptom of cooked fruit or.... Yuck! Tinny pan taste! Dang! I had considered lining the muffin tin, but the recipe didn't say to so...

Remedial steps are definately in order as the rest of the cake is fantastic! Line muffin tin with baking paper (only 3 spots, as one cake is not longer with us, having given itself to research).
Now, line baking paper with mango slices.

Then, I popped the tray in the oven for about 10 minutes until the fruit was 'baked'. I let the tray cool for a few mintues, then gently replaced the new mango for the old. They looked great.

We had a few lunch orders come through: 2 Mussel Chowders and 2 Fish & Chips (you saw both of those last post). We also had 2 Steak Sandwiches (Mmm, with smoked paprika mayo!)

And, Loaded Potatoes Skins with Chilli, Cheese and Sour Cream!

After lunch, as we were cleaning up and getting ready to close, one last couple braved the hail and came in for a beer and......

a Cappucino and Mini-Mango Cake with Lime Syrup. I barely needed to wash the plate!

Today was a good day, a very good day really. As my regular readers know, this Winter I am working in the Hilltop kitchen two days a week while the main chef has his days off. Our other chef has gone back to visit his family in the Czech Republic during our winter months.
Things have slowed right down. There are a few tourists around, mostly Australians, but it has been QUIET! Last week, on my two days in the kitchen, I think I can count the number of plates I made on one hand. YIKES, that’s not only slow and boring, it’s a bit scary, business-wise.
So, we have started a major austerity program. Absolutely NO purchases for anything that is not entirely essential. We will endeavour to use existing stock and inventory, as we do seem to have a surplus of a number of things (our fault - we have not been double-checking the requests for orders). We have also cut our part-timers hours down to, uh, zero! (Sorry, Sue & Donna, but if you still want a job in November, we've got to make some cuts now)We just don’t need their help at the moment and certainly can’t afford to pay them if we don’t need them. So, with the help of The Extremely Supportive Man, it is my job to get the bills, the inventory and the wages under control. I can do it, I must do it and I WILL do it.
The good news is that in a few weeks, things will pick up slightly as the northern hemisphere school holidays (AKA summer vacation) start and the ski slopes open down here. We are just in that cruddy period in between.

So, this past summer we regularly offered a Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette. The taste combination is amazing and it sold well. In past seasons, we have done various twists on this including a Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Pizza! The home-made pizza base is spread with caramelised onion jam and a bit of blue cheese, warmed in the oven and then topped with mixed greens tossed with the sliced fresh pears, toasted walnuts, a bit more blue cheese and the dressing. It sounds weird but the pizza base is almost like the crouton of the salad. Between the wet and dry crunch of the pears and walnuts and the sweet of the pear and onions against the saltiness and tang of the blue cheese and tartness of the vinegar, it is amazing in the mouth. But, alas, salad weather is behind us and we have left-over pears and blue cheese.

Today the deli is looking a little empty, but so little has been turning over, I am not sure what to make. There are only two pieces of Bacon and Egg Pie left, one of our ever-present staples, but I did not allow the bacon order to go through earlier in the week (already flexing administrative muscles), so we will have to come up with something else. Hmmm, we have about 10 pears left and about a pound of blue cheese very close to its best by. For some reason, we have 3 containers (Uggghhh! How does this happen!!!) of caramelised onion jam. Can you put pears in a quiche??? Why not? Why not at least give it a try. I can either throw away the blue cheese and pears in a week or I can throw away the blue cheese and pears in a pastry shell, if it doesn’t work…
I toasted some walnut pieces…



I sliced up two pears. I sliced them fairly thin so they would ‘poach’ while the pie was baking.

I gently mixed together about 10 eggs and ¾ of a cup of full cream…



So, I blind-baked the pastry with some black beans and baking paper…

When the pie crust was done, I spread a nice layer of the caramelised onion jam on the bottom.


Then I layered the pears and poured in a little of the egg mixture and topped it with some crumbled blue cheese and walnuts…

Another layer of pears, more blue cheese, walnuts and eggy mix… I topped it off with six nice slices of pear (this will make six portions) and some more blue cheese.

Close up...

I baked it at 180 C (about 350 F) for about 45 minutes – until the centre looked set and no longer ‘jiggly’.
Then, I had to wait impatiently for it to be cool enough to slice.

Then we had customers! Hungry customers!!! Not a massive rush and nothing I couldn’t cope with but people were paying for food and paying for me to cook it!!! We did two Steak & Kidney Pies and one Chicken Pot Pie (low priced items, but good to see the deli turning over).

Then, Fish & Chips and a Bacon Cheese Burger (Note to self -- don't take pics with heat lamps on -- sorry gentle readers!)

Some Nachos.


Another Bacon Cheeseburger along with a Gourmet Lamb-burger (with grilled haloumi and minted aioli) for a very nice American couple.



And, just as we started to clean-up, I cut the quiche. OMG – a party in my mouth! No, a full on festival of flavour! Wow! I have seriously impressed myself! So, I put the new quiche in the deli as a couple, our last customers of the day walked in.

He had our signature Green-lipped Mussel Chowder (Gotta love the Home-made Honey Whole Wheat soup rolls from AR!)

and she had (drum roll)

Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Quiche!!!

Yes! We can do this, we must do this and we WILL do this!

A Labour (Intensive) of Love, or Mother's Day Specials for the Menu!

We just got back from a terrific holiday in Australia, with our batteries re-charged and the taste of some great dining experiences still on our palates. Over many relaxed conversations and great meals, we renewed our vows to ‘up our game’ and not ‘lose the plot’ during the upcoming slow winter doldrums.

Knowing we were returning to work the Thursday before Mother’s Day weekend, we took this as our first ’challenge’. Now that Winter is setting in, mid-week is slow, serving some coffees and cakes mid-morning leading into a, hopefully but not always, reasonable lunch period and then quickly fading away by 2:30 ish. But, the weekends can be quite good, especially if the sun is shining and there is a good reason to have a lunch outing, like Mother’s Day. I hate to say it, but bills are looming, and we need this weekend to be good, I mean, GOOD!

We ate heaps of seafood while we were in Australia, but one restaurant we went to just had the most tantalizing sounding hand-made ravioli on the menu. After polishing off my Avocado and Shrimp starter, the spinach and feta ravioli dressed with a creamy Napolitano sauce arrived. Even The Man, who clearly steers away from vegetarian dishes and was completely engrossed in his crayfish, enjoyed the few bites I shared with him.

Now, like New Zealand, Australia is home to a lot of Greek immigrants from tough times in the past. We kept tripping upon restaurants that were ‘seafood’ but also had a Greek or heavily Mediterranean theme. One of our first meals was in Brisbane at the lovely South Bank complex overlooking the river. It was a Greek seafood restaurant, and we started with a sampler platter that had calamari, prawns (shrimp), oysters as well as spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie), Taramasalata, and grilled Haloumi cheese. It was yummy, but it reminded me that I had not made Spanakopita in a long time, and that mine is MUCH better!

The Friendly Emu at Currumbin Wildlife Park near Brisbane

One of Many Lazy 'Roos

Awww! They are SO Cute!

A Pair of Rainbow Lorikeets Shared our Breakfast Each Morning!


So, fast forward, many lorikeets, kangaroos, koalas and emus later, our flight touches down in Christchurch, an hour late, at 12:30 AM. After baggage and car collection and the hour drive, we arrive home at 2:20 AM. We try to zonk, but it’s not easy. Anyway, the following day The Man heads to the Hilltop in the morning to see what stock needs to be replenished, and I try to get caught up on paperwork and keep the taxman and some of our creditors happy (and, naturally, see what’s been happening on AR while I’ve been gone!!!) The Man heads back to town for supplies (forgetting his wallet, which creates some ‘issues’), bails Bessie out of the fantastic Top Notch Kennel and, as discussed, returns with one pumpkin, one kilo (2.2 lbs) of feta cheese, some fresh sage, a package of frozen spinach, and package of phyllo pastry.

So, the first night back from the holiday, we whip out the ‘Typi de Pasta’ machine complete with its ‘pasta bike’ and crank out the ravioli dough. Meanwhile, I’ve roasted some pumpkin, gently melded in some ricotta that was languishing in the fridge and added some of the fresh sage.

Pumpkin, Sage & Ricotta Ravioli Filling

Pasta Dough, Ready to Roll!


I also drained the defrosted spinach thoroughly, added a few of Flo and Myrtle’s best laid eggs, a good handful of crumbled feta and likewise some finely shredded parmesan. I gave both the pumpkin mix and the spinach mix a healthy grating of nutmeg (my personal favourite spice).

Then, we went into assembly mode! The Man cranked the pasta, while I guided it (or at least tried to) into the chute. With practice, we got better and by the end, we had some lovely textured, very thin, pasta sheets to make our ravioli with. I cut and filled.

Cranking Out the Ravioli Sheeets

The Man trimmed and fluted the edges with the “Pasta Bike”. I think they look lovely!

Spinach & Feta Ravioli and Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli


The following day, I had Hilltop Chef Vojta (Voy-ta) make a simple but lovely sauce for the ravioli. He sweated an onion and some garlic, added an array of Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, etc) and a can of tomatoes. Mr. Whizzy (the immersion blender) jumped in and did his bit. We added a dash of cream and adjusted the acidity with a wee dash of sugar.

So, Friday, I am home early from work to make the Spanakopita. I sweat the onion and get the excess moisture out of the spinach, add the parmesan, and realize that I’ve left the feta at the Hilltop. Oh well.

Saturday morning, I take my started filling up and get stuck into the baking room, where Vojta is making Chicken Pot Pies. We have a lovely chat. I do not have children, but I am protective of this boy like he is mine, and I am delighted that he is so eager to chat and share with me. No, I didn't know Petr had a potential girl-friend. He is going to a fitness class every week with another one of our staff. He likes Jamie's Tiramisu recipe better than Gordon's...

Somewhat nervously, I open the phyllo pastry, spread it on a cutting board and cover it with a damp tea towel. Having done this so many times, I can tell you, Phyllo varies and must be handled with care. It IS finicky!!! I melt some butter in a heavy soup bowl (the heaviness of the bowl will ensure that the butter remains liquid throughout my activities).

Okay! One sheet down, brush with butter, fold lengthwise, brush with butter again.. Another sheet overlapping, brush with butter and fold again! (Is the rest of the phyllo covered with the damp towel? Even though it seems like you spend more time covering and uncovering the phyllo, it helps.) So, that’s two sheets folded or four layers. Since I am actually going to fold these into triangular packets, the two sheets that are now four layers will be more like 8 layers by the time they are folded, and that’s enough. When I make this traditional style in a baking dish, I usually do 8 layers on the bottom and four folded sheets (or 8 layers) on the top.

Now, I’ll brush the bottom ¾ of the phyllo with butter. Plop a generous amount of the spinach mix onto the phyllo, and shape into a triangle. Now, gently, but firmly, fold the phyllo over the spinach, flag-style to make a ‘snug’ parcel. Brush the outside of the parcel with butter and set onto the baking dish. Go again! I got 10 parcels out of this recipe.

Filling at Top of lengthwise Sheet, ready to fold!

First fold, creating a triangle


Pop them in the oven at 350 F or 180 C, until the pastry is golden, maybe 15 minutes. We’ll serve these with a simple Greek salad (toms, cukes, onion, olives, and a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil).

Gosh, They Look Good!


So, this weekend our specials included Spanakopita Parcels with a Greek Salad, a Duet of Ravioli topped with a creamy Napolitano Sauce, a Glass of ‘Bubbles’ (Sparkling wine) at a very reduced price, and for desert, Tiramisu!

Bon Apetit! And Happy Mother’s Day!