Marsala Pasties

Ingredients

4 Large potatoes, peeled and quartered 

1 Brown onion, finely chopped
2 Tblsps of ghee  
1 Tspn cumin seeds  
1 Tspn mustard seeds  
1 Tspn turmeric 
1 Tblspn grated ginger  
3 Cooked chorizo sausages, cut into small bite size pieces (optional)
¼ Bunch of spinach  
6 Button mushrooms, diced  
1 Finely chopped green chili  
1/2 Tspn salt (adjust to taste)  
1 Tblspn lemon juice  
2 Tblspn chopped coriander  
4 Sheets of short crust pastry  
¼ Cup milk (for brushing)

Method 
Boil the potatoes until they are soft and set aside to cool. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius.  

Roughly mash the potatoes. Heat the ghee in a frying pan on medium high until hot & smoking. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. As the seeds crack, add the chopped onion and turmeric. Fry on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Next, add the ginger and chopped chorizo, fry for a further 2 minutes on a medium heat. Add potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, green chili and salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.  

Add lemon juice and coriander while folding through mixture carefully. Take the mixture off the heat and set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, Cut four 12cm (diameter) rounds from each shortcrust pastry sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of potato mixture onto the top half of each round. 

 Brush pastry edges with water to seal. Bring pastry edges together to form a semi-circle. Pinch edges to seal and form frills.

Place pasties on a lined baking tray. Brush with milk and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. 

Serve with a sweet chutney.

Georgiou's Confectionery

147 New Canterbury Road,

Petersham, NSW, 2049

Ph (02) 9560 5312

Hours: Mon - Sat 8.30am - 4.30pm; Sun 10am - 3pm (only Feb -April, Oct - Dec)

Website: www.georgious.com.au

Today we found it! Yes, the treasure trove of all confectionery stores and it’s located in Petersham. Having passed this warehouse on several occasions on our weekend travels to Yum Cha, we finally made the effort (a huge effort may I add after Yum Cha) to explore the treasure trove of confectionery which is Georgiou’s Confectionery store. 

Lollies and chocolates from our childhoods lined the aisles. We both certainly felt like kids, I mean adults, no kids, in a candy store. All of our old school favourites were here. Warheads, Nerds, Snap & Crackle bars, sour worms, gob stoppers....I’m getting excited again! Perhaps it's all the sugar!

The list didn’t stop there. American favourites such as Jujyfruits, Junior Mints, Baby Ruth, Reese’s Pieces, Butter Fingers, Pop Tarts, Hershey’s bars and Choo Choo Bars proved to be all too tempting.

Buy in bulk Fantales, freckles, milk bottles, frogs, chocolate éclairs, gummy bears, red skins… the list goes on.

For the more conservative confectionery lovers, you will be happy to know that you are also fully catered for with a wide selection of boxed chocolates such as Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, Raffaello, Baci Perugina and Guylian to name a few.

And for the chocoholics, well I think the yard of chocolate should certainly hit the spot.

What a store! 1000 square metres of sweet heaven. Move over Charlie, today I certainly felt that I had found the golden ticket. This place certainly is Petersham’s answer to Willy Wonker’s Chocolate Factory!

Cyril's Fine Foods

181 Hay Street,
Haymarket, Sydney, 2000
Ph. (02) 9211 0994
Hours: Mon - Fri 6.30am - 5.30pm, Sat 6am - 1pm

Cyril's would have to be one of Sydney's finest delicatessens and we should know, one of us two little piggies has been visiting his store for over the past 30 years!

As you enter the Cyrils you will be greeted by owner and operator, Cyril Vincenc who has been running the store since 1956. The shop is filled with an array of pickled, smoked, baked, preserved, salted, frozen, fresh, cultured, cured and refrigerated items that make the foundations of a fine Eastern European deli.

Expect to find delectable European cheeses, chocolates, biscuits, salamis, jams, breads, pate, game meats as well as traditional favourites, piroshki, pelmeny and pickled herrings.

Not sure what to buy? Cyril is always happy to assist you in creating your European feast. The store is well known amongst the local Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and Czech communities for its vast selection of good quality traditional products.

Cyril's has been our family's favourite delicatessen for three generations and will no doubt continue well into the future.

Roast Goose

Ingredients
1 Medium Sized Goose (between 2.4 - 3 kilograms), thawed completely
2 Tbspns Vietnamese Salt & Pepper Mix (Muo'i Tieu)
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and cut into quarters
1 Bunch of Sage, washed & roughly torn
1-2 Litres of Water

Equipment
4 Bamboo Skewers
Kitchen Towel
Large Baking Tray, Rack & Lid (or foil lined with baking paper as foil will stick to the skin of the goose)

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, pat dry the skin of the goose using kitchen towel and place the goose breast side up on the wire rack in the baking tray.

Insert the quartered apples into the cavity of the goose. Before and after each piece of apple, add a small amount of the torn sage leaves. When the cavity is full, use the skewers to close the cavity and secure the legs into position.

Sprinkle the salt & pepper mixture over the goose, ensuring the skin has an even coverage of seasoning. Note, do not rub the salt & pepper mixture as it may clump together.

Pour the water carefully to the bottom of the baking tray until it reaches a depth of 1.5cm, be sure that no water comes in contact with the goose.

Cover the baking tray with the lid or with foil and baking paper. Place the goose carefully into the centre of the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour.

At the end of the first hour, remove the goose from the oven and carefully uncover the lid or foil. Return the goose back to the oven for a further 45 minutes to an hour uncovered. Be sure to check that the bird is browning evenly and is not over cooked.

Remove the goose from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. This sized bird should feed 4 people as a main or 6 as an entree.